NE::Megaman NT Warrior: Memories
by Litintha
Summary: Dr. Hikari has invented a way to have Navis appear in the real world. Megaman is the first successful test, but Lan gets Amnesia! Can Megaman's love help Lan get his memories back? LanxMegaman yaoi. Chapter 17 is up. Please R & R and vote in the poll!
1. Chapter 1: Rush to School

**_-MATURE CONTENT WARNING: This fanfic WILL contain extremely descriptive yaoi (boy x boy) elements in later chapters. If you are not of age, and your parents catch you reading this, I CANNOT and WILL NOT be held responsible for the consequences! You have been warned!-_**

_**-DISCLAIMER-  
Megaman NT Warrior is a registered trademark and copyright of it's respective company(ies). I do not claim ownership of the name, characters, places, events, devices, or anything else within the trademark and/or copyright that are not considered "original material."**_

_Hello everyone! This is my first -official- fanfic that I have created. And, yes. There will be some romance in it between who I consider to be my favorite paring in Megaman NT . Of course, it goes without saying that it is Megaman (Rockman) and Lan (Netto)._

_This being my first fanfic that I have written on my own, I am attempting to NOT make it a one-shot fanfic. Rather, I am shooting for having it be an actual story with a plotline, making the Lan X Megaman aspect of the fanfic more of a side story._

_This is my first fanfic! You may R & R if you like. I want to see how people think I did. Enjoy!_

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Chapter 1 – Rush to School

"Lan, if you just learned to get up on time, you wouldn't have to rush off to school every morning, not that it isn't good exercise," called a voice from Lan's PET.

Lan kept looking forward, making sure that he didn't fall over anything or hit anyone while he was rushing off to his school, DenTech Academy. The last thing he needed right now was to be delayed even more and have Ms. Mari be even more upset than she most likely is right now. "Maybe if you learn more effective ways to wake me up, this wouldn't happen," he retorted back at the voice.

"Hey. I can't MAKE you wake up. You have to do THAT on your own," the voice called back from the PET attached to Lan's arm.

"Oh, come on. You're my NetNavi. You're supposed to be there for me, Megaman," Lan replied, still looking straight ahead.

"I am there for you, Lan. But, more importantly, YOU have to be there for YOURSELF," Megaman shot back.

"…" Lan knew that Megaman was right. He always was right. There was rarely ever a time when Megaman didn't know what was best for Lan. However, for him, it was always easier to blame Megaman for when he didn't get up in the morning, neglected his homework, or when he was just late in general. Megaman didn't mind being blamed for such things, though. He knew that he was right and Lan was wrong, and he took some degree, however miniscule it was, of pride in knowing that he knew he was right. But, despite that, he still admired that the boy was able to keep up with other things in his life, such as his friendship with Maylu, Dex, Tory, and Yai, as well as Maysa, Miyu, and Sal.

"!" Lan came to abrupt stop on his skates as he crashed into a person walking on the sidewalk. He must have been too caught up in thinking about what Megaman said, another rare occurrence, to be paying full attention to what was in front of him.

"Sorry, my bad," Lan said as he rubbed his forehead. Wow. That really hurt. The last time he hit his forehead that hard was…well…he couldn't remember at the moment. The pain from the impact made it so that he couldn't quite get all of his thoughts in order for the moment. He was able to open his eyes shortly after the pain subsided. He took a quick look at the ground and saw dozens of BattleChips lying on the ground in front of him. "Wow. Look at all these BattleChips."

"Hey! Keep your hands off them! I hope, for your sake, that you didn't leave any fingerprints on them, Or, worse yet, scratch or break any," an older voice said to Lan, in a rather angry tone. Lan looked up from the ground to see none other than Mr. Higsby sitting on the ground in front of him, inspecting all of the BattleChips for any kind of damage.

"Higsby! What are you doing out here?"  
"Huh? Oh, Lan. It's you that ran into me! Watch where you are going next time! There are some very rare chips I have that I am bringing back to my shop."  
"What? Don't you have enough rare chips?  
"You can never have too many rare chips! Anyway, where are you off to in such a hurry?"  
"Oh, man! I totally forgot! I'm late for school!"

Megaman called from the PET, "Then you better hurry before Ms. Mari gets REALLY upset. Hey! If you are more than 15 minutes late today, you might set a new record!"

"Hey! When I want your opinion, I'll ask for it," Lan shot back at Megaman. But, Megaman was right, yet again. If Lan didn't hurry, he would most definitely be 15 minutes late, since this most recent collision with Higsby set him back a few minutes, and he was already 10 minutes late, as it were. Megaman couldn't help but laugh a little at Lan's reaction.

"See you later, Higsby! Let me know if you get any good BattleChips in this week!"  
"Sure, Lan. Make sure you stop by!"

Lan looked a nearby clock on his way to DenTech Academy. '7:57am. I just need to move quicker, and I might make it on time,' Lan thought to himself. He then started to pick up the pace on his skates, hoping that he was right and he would be able to bridge the time gap in such a short amount of time. Megaman, however, knew what Lan was doing, and decided to make his presence known once more.

"If you think that speeding up will save you from being late, then you have another thing coming to you, Lan," Megaman stated, with a slight hint of amusement in his voice. Lan, however, was not all that amused by the comment Megaman had just made. In fact, he did not respond to Megaman at all. He was completely focused on getting to school on time today. He wanted to make sure, at least, that if you DID happen to be late, that it would only be one or two minutes. He knew that if it was such a small tardiness, that Ms. Mari would not be so harsh when she gave her usual "Tardiness" lecture to him.

"Lan, are you ok? You've been a little quiet since you ran into Higsby," a worried Megaman called from the PET. Lan, however, still ignored the NetNavi; still focused on the task he set for himself. 'Lan seems unusually determined to get to school on time. I wonder if I made me mad at me.' Megaman couldn't help but think that something was wrong. However, Lan didn't seem to be in a talkative mood. He seemed to be…

"There's the school! I still have 50 seconds to get there," Lan exclaimed as DenTech Academy came within site. Megaman, who was deep in thought at the moment, was suddenly ripped from his train of thought thanks to Lan's outburst. A small smile appeared across Megaman's face. It wasn't that he was happy that Lan might actually make it to school on time, but rather, than Lan might have actually been right in thinking that speeding up would save him from another Ms. Mari lecture.

Feeling the need to give Lan encouragement, Megaman called out from his PET once more. "You can make it, Lan. Just stay focused on the goal!"

'30…25…,' Lan was counting down in his head. He just made it into the courtyard of the school. There still wasn't a second to lose. '20…15…' Now inside the building, he needed to get to his classroom, 6-A. '10…5…!' The numbers still dwindling, Lan kept moving as quick as he could! He wanted to be on-time today! He wanted to show that he was right for a change! He wanted…

_-bing, bing, bing, bing-_

"I made it! I'm finally on-time!" Lan yelled as he ran into the classroom, almost out of breath, but filled with excitement. He was actually right! Megaman was wrong! He was able to make it to school on-time today. He was able to prove Megaman wrong today! He…

"Well, you certain are on-time today, Lan," a pleased voice came from behind him. Lan turned around and his eyes met with those of his teacher, Ms. Mari. She was a little taller than Lan, which was obvious as most adults were. Her usual demeanor always included a smile on her face. Lan rarely saw that smile when he came to class, since he was almost always late. Lan being late usually made Ms. Mari mad, and she would lecture him on being more punctual when it came to getting to class on time.

"Well, seeing that you are here, Lan. Go take your seat so we can begin class," Ms. Mari said as she began to walk towards her desk at the front of the classroom.

Lan quickly made his way to his deck, which was next to Maylu's desk and in front of Dex's desk. Yai's desk wasn't immediately adjacent to either Lan's, Maylu's, or Dex's desks. Rather, her desk was in the in the back left corner of the last row. Tory wasn't in the same classroom as Lan and company. He was in classroom 6-B. Though Tory was in a separate classroom from Lan, Dex, Maylu and Yai, they all remained in close contact throughout the school day via their PETs' e-mail capabilities, as well as their NetNavis.

"I'm surprised you were actually able to make it on time, Lan," Dex exclaimed as Lan took his seat. Lan, still trying to catch his breath after that race against time he just had, was still able to comment back on Dex's remark.

"Give me a break, will ya, Dex? I had to literally go faster than a car to get here."

Inside Lan's PET, Megaman couldn't help but chuckle at his NetOp's over-exaggeration. Megaman know that, if ANY speed that Lan was moving at, it wasn't close to how fast a car would go. But, nonetheless, it was a feature about the boy that Megaman couldn't help but admire. Lan's excessive over-exaggeration of many situations gave Megaman lots of laughs, as it was humorous to see Lan react in such situations.

"I heard that, Megaman," Lan barked while looking at his PET, still strapped to his arm.

"Quiet, you two. Ms. Mari has an announcement she is going to make," Maylu pointed out to Dex and Lan. This comment made Lan a little upset, but the fact that Ms. Mari has some kind of announcement for the class took away that upset and replaced it with interest. The only times that Ms. Mari had an announcement for the class was when either there was a new student, or there was going to be an upcoming field trip.

Lan looked around the room quickly, scanning the desks and the people who sat in them. He then focused his attention to the front of the room, seeing if anyone had followed Ms. Mari inside. If there was a new student, they would have been up there with her. No dice. There wasn't a single person in the classroom that he didn't recognize. From that observation alone, he had a suspicion that there was an upcoming field trip.

"Settle down, everyone. Before we begin class, I have an announcement to make."


	2. Chapter 2: The Announcement

Chapter 2 – The Announcement

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH?"

The entire classroom was stunned by the announcement that Ms. Mari gave to them. They could not believe what they were hearing. Not only was this a huge surprise, but it presented a once in a lifetime opportunity to see some of the best technology in this day in age.

"That's right everyone. We will be taking a field trip to the Science Labs here in DenTech City. Dr. Yuichiro Hikari himself setup the field trip, and he will be our guide while we are there," Ms. Mari explained to the class. "The field trip will be tomorrow at 9:00am. We will be meeting up at the front gate of SciLab. Make sure you are not late!"

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Wow! That is the coolest," an overly excited Dex exclaimed to Maylu, Yai, and Tory. "We will actually get to see SciLab! I am totally psyched!"

Maylu and Yai just looked at each other, giving the other a giggle. For Dex, it was something that didn't happen too often. However, for Maylu and Yai, since they were always so close to Lan almost all the time, they saw the inside of SciLab on almost a daily basis. It wasn't as exciting to those two as it was to Dex.

"Dex, the only thing that is really exciting there right now is some secret project that Lan's dad is working on. We've seen everything else," said the small girl within the group. Yai was a very popular girl. Her father was the president of AyanoTech, the multi-billion dollar software company. While she is "popular" in her own right, she really only talks to Lan, Maylu, Dex, and Tory.

"Huh? What secret project? Is Dr. Hikari making something new," Maylu inquired. Tory and Dex were also quite intrigued by what Yai had said. They all knew that Lan's father was the head scientist at SciLab, and he was responsible for creating many things that were used, such as the SynchroChip that Lan and Chaud use to perform CrossFusion.

"Yeah. I heard that this new project that SciLab is working on will revolutionize how NetNavis and humans interact with each other. In fact, it is said it will be even more advanced than the hologram projectors on our PETs," Yai continued. "It's going to be cool to see what this new system is!"

"Miss Yai. Your schedule says that it is almost time for your writing lessons. May I suggest that you proceed home so that you are not late," called a voice from Yai's purse. Yai immediately looked at her right shoulder to see Glide's hologram appear.

"Glide! Can't you see that I am in the middle of giving out some important information here?"  
"My apologies, Miss Yai. I am just reminding you."  
"A girl's allowed to change her mind."  
"Absolutely, Miss Yai."

Maylu couldn't help but giggle inside a little bit at Glide's 100 percent obedience to Yai. Most NetNavis would have probably got into an argument with their NetOp if they, the NetOp, talked like Yai did. But, Glide seemed to be programmed to follow Yai's every single instruction, down to the letter, as well as agree with her like some corporate yes-man. Yup. Glide sure was one loyal NetNavi.

"Has anyone seen Lan? He disappeared after school," said an observant Maylu. Indeed, Lan did disappear. Normally, Lan would have stayed with the group after school and talked a little bit. More often than not, they would have left the school's courtyard and headed for Yai's house for some NetBattling, or just talking and letting their NetNavis hang out in Net City.

"That is strange. Normally, he is right here with us, waiting to beat Dex in some NetBattles," Tory said. However, Dex wasn't going to take a comment like that sitting down. "What do you mean 'beat Dex in some NetBattles'? I beat Lan quite a few times, you know," Dex retorted at Tory.

"Yeah, but those were before Lan got Megaman. Since then, you haven't won a single match against him," Yai said to Dex, with a hint of amusement in her voice. Dex, on the other hand, did not see the amusement of the comment, and quickly gave Yai a glare. "Don't give me that look! You know it's true," Yai continued, even though she knew that Dex was becoming agitated by her comments. She actually found it funny that Dex would get so worked up over a few comments, even though he knew, and those around him, knew they were true. But, it was something that he never really wanted to admit.

"…" Dex was at a loss for words. All he could manage was a small groan before we looked away and appeared to go into a state of thought. This appearance was reinforced when he blurted out of nowhere, "do you think Lan knows what this new project is, exactly? I mean, he is the son of the man developing it."

"Hmmm…maybe he does. Dex does make a good point," Tory concluded.  
"Yeah. Dr. Hikari tells Lan about almost everything that happens at SciLab," Maylu agreed.  
"I'm almost sure that he knows something," Yai stated, in agreement with Maylu and Tory.

The four children then looked at each other and burst out into laughter. They knew that if Lan knew about it, THEY would know about it. Lan was never good at keeping really big secrets…well…secret. He was barely able to keep his identity as a NetSaver a secret for more than 2 weeks before Maylu was able to catch on. If Lan knew what this secret project was that his father was working on, the four of them knew that Lan would have blurted it out to them at some point.

"Good one, Dex. You almost had me going there," Maylu exclaimed, still trying to get her laughter under control. Dex, Yai, and Tory, however, seemed to show no restraint. They continued to laugh without hesitation. Once they realized they were still laughing at the seemingly funny joke, the rest of the kids finally came to a haul in their laughter. Seemingly in unison, they all began to think about the question that Maylu has asked only a few moments earlier. 'Where is Lan? Did something happen?' They all then got an uneasy feeling in their stomachs.

This was highly unusual.

~~!~~  
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Lan skated down the street, this time, at a more normal pace. He wasn't really concerned at the moment about leaving his friends at school, wondering what had happened to him. He actually didn't think twice about it. His main concern right now was getting to SciLab. A few days ago, during a NetSaver mission, a virus attack happened and sent a feedback pulse through the wireless connection between Megaman and Lan's PET. This pulse disrupted the holographic projector of the PET, disabling Megaman's ability to project himself as a miniature, translucent hologram on Lan's shoulder.

"Do you really think that your father will be able to fix the projector," Megaman's voice called out from the PET, still on Lan's arm.

"I hope so. He knows more about this kind of stuff than I do. And, besides, I have a backup plan in case he can't," Lan responded. Megaman was a little thrown off by this comment. He began to wonder what this 'backup plan' Lan had entailed. Did he plan on buying a new PET if it couldn't be fixed? Did he think Mr. Famous would be able to fix it? A few more questions crossed Megaman's mind when he finally came to a realization.

"If your dad can't fix it, you are going to take it to Chaud, aren't you," the Navi said through the speaker of his PET. This comment made Lan slow down a bit in his skating, almost as if he was in a state of quiet contemplation. Megaman took notice of this, and assumed that he was right in his guess that Chaud was plan B.

"Yeah. Since both SciLab and BlazeQuest Games worked on developing the Link PET, one of them has to know how to fix it. I just want to ask my dad first, since Chaud would probably say 'I am too busy to help you' or something like that," Lan said, with a small smile on his face.

Megaman let out a small laugh at Lan's comment. Sure enough, Chaud was like that. Unless it was something that had to do with the NetSavers, Chaud was normally too busy running his company to help Lan with anything like this. It just wasn't high on Chaud's priority list. He just wanted to make sure that his company would stay afloat in the market, considering that AyanoTech released information about a new development that might put BlazeQuest at a huge disadvantage. To Chaud, his life was almost nothing but business.

"Well, here we are. SciLab," Lan stated as he skated up to the front door.

He entered through the front door, and immediately saw none-other-than Chaud in the lobby. 'Chaud? Here? I wonder if he just came back from a mission,' Lan thought in his head. Normally, around this time, Chaud would be in some kind of meeting with a potential company that wants to enter into a contract with BlazeQuest, though Chaud rarely, if ever, accepted the proposals. He was overly confident that his company could handle any project that other companies came up with on their own.

"Hey, Chaud. What are you doing here," Lan asked in an inquisitive manner.

"I was asked to come here by your father. He said something about a new experiment he wanted me to be a part of," Chaud replied.

"Huh? Experiment? What kind?"  
"I don't know. He didn't want to say much over the phone. He did, however, ask Chief Keifer and Manuela to come, as well.  
"Hmmm…maybe it has something to do with the NetSavers."  
"Maybe. I guess we will find out soon. Why are you here, Lan?"  
"Oh, I need my PET fixed. The last mission I did messed up my holographic projector."

Chaud looked at Lan, and soon noticed that Megaman was not being projected has the translucent hologram that the PET would normally emit. Chaud couldn't smile inward at this. Rather, he let a small grin appear across his face as he let out a soft chuckle. "Leave it to Lan Hikari to mess up his own PET," he said, with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Hey! It wasn't my fault. The virus I was attacking sent some kind of feedback pulse through the wireless connection between Megaman and the PET. It shorted something out inside it," Lan said, with obvious protest.

"Lan, calm down. Chaud is just making a joke," a reassuring Megaman said from inside his PET.

"Easy for you to say. That comment wasn't directed at you," Lan shot back at Megaman. This caused Megaman to unintentionally laugh at Lan. He just found it funny when Lan felt the need to argue with him. They were a team, after all. But, no team is without flaws, and Megaman knew that. Lan's constant argumentative nature, which was almost always directed at Megaman, was something that Megaman, once again, highly admired about the boy. It was something that Megaman actually found to be one of Lan's better qualities, using the term "better" very loosely.

"I heard that laugh, Megaman," Lan commented, with a slight hint of anger in his voice. But, Lan knew it was all in good fun. He didn't want to hurt Megaman's feelings, as then they would not be able to work well together, especially if they got a mission where CrossFusion was needed. Copyroids were still around, specifically in the Black Market and the UnderNet market. There were times when a copyroid would get loose, and some NetNavi from the UnderNet would make their way to it, thereby activating the copyroid and causing all kinds of havoc in the real world.

"Oh, there you are, Chaud. I was just about to ask if you made it her yet," an older voice said. Chaud turned to face the source of the voice and found none-other-than Dr. Hikari walking in from a door to the far left of the lobby. That door lead to the main facilities at SciLab, specifically where most of the employees worked. Such areas were off-limits to people, as extra sensitive information and machinery were kept back there.

"I came here as soon as I got the call from the lab," Chaud said, in his usual indifferent tone of voice.

"Yeah. I called you here because I will need yours and Protoman's help with an experiment we are just about ready to wrap up. If you can follow me, we'll head over to the Experiment Room," Dr. Hikari said, starting to move towards the door he just came from.

"Hey! What about me? I came here, too," Lan called after his father, who didn't seem to even notice him.

"Oh, sorry, Lan. I didn't even notice that you were there. Hehe. I guess I was just caught up in my work that I wasn't paying attention," Lan's father replied to the protest.

"Hehe. Wouldn't be the first time," Lan retorted back, with a smile on his face. Dr. Hikari laughed a little and smiled at his son's comment. It was 100 percent true. Every time he got involved with his work too much, he seemingly ignored all of his surroundings. For all Lan knew, if his father was working hard enough, he probably wouldn't even notice a tornado or earthquake if he was totally absorbed in his work.

"But, it is a good thing you are here, Lan. I wanted you and Megaman to be present for the experiment as well."


	3. Chapter 3: Experiment Revealed

Chapter 3 – Experiment Revealed

Lan and Chaud both followed Dr. Hikari through the automatic door located in the lobby. They were all heading to the Experiment Room, as per instructed by Dr. Hikari. Lan and Chaud did not know what kind of experiment he was conducting in there, but it was certain to be important. For Lan, the son of the head scientist in charge of this project, to NOT know what was in store for them, said something about the secrecy of the scientists at SciLab.

All three of them were completely silent most of the way, until Lan decided to break said silence.

"Hey, dad. I was wondering if you would be able to fix my PET," Lan finally said.  
"Huh? Is there something wrong with it," Dr. Hikari asked his son.  
"Yeah. During a NetSaver mission, some virus did something that messed up the holographic projector.  
"Hmmm…that shouldn't be too hard to fix. It shouldn't take more than 4 hours, at most."  
"Really? That quick? Would you be able to do it today, dad?"  
"Sure, Lan. It would have to wait until we are done with this experiment, though."  
"No problem. We can wait, right, Megaman?"

Megaman, who had also gone silent since they passed through the doors to the interior of SciLab, was able to make his voice heard. "Yeah. It's not a really big deal right now. It's just a little inconvenient that I can't see anyone unless the PET's camera is held in that direction."

Dr. Hikari chuckled a little at the Navi's assessment of the situation. It was always like Megaman to not think too much about situations like this. Actually, come to think of it, Dr. Hikari couldn't remember a single time when Megaman thought a lot about a given situation, no matter how big or small it was.

"Well, we better hurry to the Experiment Room. They will be expecting Chaud and Protoman soon," Dr. Hikari informed the boys.

"Hey, dad. What kind of experiment are Chaud and Protoman taking part in," the shorter of the two boys asked. Lan knew that the experiment that Chaud and Protoman were participating in was the very experiment that his father was keeping secret from him, his mother, and basically everyone else for that matter. This did annoy Lan a little, not so much that he wasn't told what the experiment was, but the fact that Chaud and Protoman were the ones that his father asked to participate. Lan expected his father to ask him and Megaman to participate in the experiment. But, from the sound of his father's voice when he asked him to come along, he knew that his father hadn't thought about asking him and Megaman.

"Well, I can't tell you that, yet. But, you will find out when we get to the Experiment Room. Actually, Lan. You should go and watch from the Observation Room," Dr. Hikari explained, as they finally reached the doorway to the Experiment Room. Now, Lan was really angry. Now, he felt like his father, his own FATHER, was snubbing him. While he was angry, he was also a little bit jealous of Chaud and Protoman. Lan knew that whatever experiment this was, it was bound to be something good, and Lan was jealous that he and Megaman were not the first to try it out.

But, nonetheless, Lan listened to his father and took a left to a staircase that lead to the Observation Room. "Man! Why is it that Chaud and Protoman are the ones that get to try everything first," Lan finally said in anger. It was a little loud, but no one else was in the room to hear Lan, save for Megaman.

"Calm down, Lan. It isn't all bad. After all, it is just an experiment. Things can go wrong. Maybe your father asked Chaud and Protoman because he didn't want anything to happen to us," The blue-clad Navi said from the PET.

"When was the last time that something my dad made went wrong during experi…" Lan cut himself off in the middle of the sentence. He knew how Megaman was going to answer that. And, that assumption was proven when Megaman did, indeed, answer the question that Lan didn't finish. "Need I remind you about the Dimension Core or the first SynchroChip experiment?"

"Alright, alright. I get it," Lan said, conceding defeat. "But, just because there are dangers involved, doesn't mean that you and I can't do just as well as Chaud and Protoman."

"That may be true, but that brings me back to my first point. Maybe your father knows risks that we don't, and would rather have someone else, someone more qualified to think of their feet, to be in the experiment than his son," Megaman pointed out to Lan, who, since he had accepted defeat in the argument, simply nodded his head and pressed his face against the window looking into the Experiment Room.

Lan knew the room well. It was where he and Megaman would CrossFuse during Nebula's existence so they could sharpen their skills while CrossFused. Back then, they needed to keep them sharp, as there was no telling when the next Nebula or Darkloid attack would come. They needed to stay in tip-top shape to make sure they were not seriously injured. The SynchroChip was also invented in the Experiment Room. Yup. Lan knew the Experiment room well.

"Hmm…I wonder what kind of experiment that they are going to be conducting down there. Judging from all of the machines, it must be something big," Megaman observed as Lan removed the PET from his shoulder and pointed it towards the window.

"They are going to attempt to materialize a NetNavi into the human world without a Dimensional Area or Copyroid," said a voice from behind Lan. He turned his face and PET away from the window to see Famous standing behind him.

"Mr. Famous. I didn't hear you come in," Lan exclaimed, with a bit of surprise in his voice.

"Famous, just Famous," the man told Lan, for the thousandth time since they met.

"Wait…did you just say materialize a NetNavi WITHOUT a Dimensional Area or a Copyroid," Megaman called out from the PET. It was a rather perplexing statement from the man in front of him. Up until…well…just now, NetNavis that wanted to be in the real world either needed to be materialized in a Dimensional Area, placed in a copyroid, or brought via their NetOp performing CrossFusion.

"That's correct," Famous stated. Though, it seemed that he stated that for both Megaman and Lan, since he could see that Lan was just about to ask the same question that Megaman had already asked. "Earlier this month, Dr. Hikari was able to locate specific data in the Net that was apparently from Shademan," Famous continued. "That data was put into Shademan's Navi program when he used the first Rush SynchroChip to enter the human world. Dr. Hikari was able to isolate the data, bring it to SciLab, study it, and write it into a program that could be uploaded into NetNavis."

"So…it's like how Rush is able to move from the Cyberworld to the human world," Lan asked the man standing in front of him. Megaman was able to ask the same question, only worded differently. However, he decided that it wasn't worth it, as Famous would answer Lan's question.

"Almost like it," Famous stated. Now, Lan was really interested. "While Rush is able to travel between the Cyberworld and the human world, he is still considered to be a hologram. If water was to come into contact with him, it would disrupt his data, and he may suffer consequences. However, what Dr. Hikari is testing right now with Chaud and Protoman is something completely different."

"Huh? What do you mean 'completely different'? Isn't it all the same," Megaman asked from the PET. Megaman had to admit, though, that it was a very interesting subject for him to listen to. His thoughts unintentionally started to drift off into a daydreaming state, but briefly. He imagined being able to talk to Lan face to face. He imagined being able to eat the same foods that Lan ate. He imagined a life so much less confining that Lan seemed to live…a life that wasn't confined by a PET.

"There are some key differences with this, though," Famous explained further. "While Rush is just a projected hologram, this program that Dr. Hikari created is different. Instead of NetNavis materializing as solid holograms, this program works by basically _removing_ the NetNavi from the Cyberworld. In a sense, it is bringing the NetNavi to the real world, in _living flesh and blood_."

Lan was at a lose for words. 'Only dad would think of making a program like that,' he thought, as a small grin appeared on his face. Lan couldn't stop himself from daydreaming just like Megaman was. He dreamed of Megaman, next to him, sharing the same house with him, sharing the same dinner table with him, sharing the same homework with him…ok, maybe not the same homework, but it was Lan's dream, and he wanted it to be like that.

"Is the materialization permanent," Megaman asked, notably with a sense of worry in his voice.

"Not at all," a reassuring Famous said. "While the NetNavi is fully materialized in the human world, they are still tied to their PET through a link that Dr. Hikari calls the 'NetLine.' Basically, the NetLine is what ties the NetNavi to their PET. It is a wireless signal that is transmitted between the PET and the materialized NetNavi. This wireless signal can be used by the NetNavi to return to their PET, and resume normal activities in the Cyberworld. It also acts as a link for BattleChip data. If you have your NetNavi materialized in the real world, you can still download BattleChips to them through the Net Line."

This was a major reassurance for Megaman. He wanted to be able to be in the human world, but, at the same time, he didn't want to permanently leave Roll, Gutsman, Glide, Iceman, and all his other Navi friends. It was a major weight that was lifted off his shoulders, knowing he could come to the human world to see Lan in the flesh, then simply return to his PET to hang out in Net City.

"You'd better turn around. It looks like they are going to start the experiment soon. You don't want to miss this," Famous finally stating, breaking a slightly awkward silence in the room. Lan instinctively obeyed and turned towards the window that looked into the Experiment room. "And, I'd better get down there, myself," Famous added, before heading for the stairs.

"Thanks, Mr. Famous!"  
"Famous, just Famous!"

Of all the things that Lan did, that had to be the most annoying thing he did. Putting "Mr." in front of his name made Famous feel old. He wasn't even 30 years old. But, Lan was a boy who always respected those who were older than he was…sometimes…

"So, this is the big experiment that my dad has been working on this past month. No wonder it was taking up all his time. This is HUGE," Lan exclaimed, not showing any restraint for the excitement that had built up inside him.

"You got that right, Lan. This could very well be the biggest breakthrough for NetNavis since the invention of the copyroids," Megaman stated, completely agreeing with Lan. This was huge. In fact, this was bigger than huge. This was GIGANTIC. To enable NetNavis to just leave their PETs and enter the real world, without having to use a copyroid or some kind of portable Dimensional Converter, was news that made Megaman want to be in the experimental process even more than ever.

"Hey, Megaman. It looks like they are getting ready to start," an observant Lan stated. Megaman look out from the PET and saw a lot of movement inside the room next door. 'All this movement…Lan is probably right. It looks like they are getting ready to start the experiment,' Megaman thought to himself.

'I wonder how it will turn out…'

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Ok, Protoman. Are you ready for the data upload," Dr. Hikari asked the red armor-clad NetNavi, with a small, but obvious, hint of worry in his voice. This would be the first time that they attempted this. And, if things didn't go well, then Protoman might be…

"I'm ready for it, Dr. Hikari. Go ahead and start the experiment when you are ready," Protoman said, showing no signs of any worry or anxiety. In fact, his response was devoid of almost all emotions. For lack of a better word, it was indifferent.

"Protoman. Are you SURE you want to go through with this? You can back out at…" Chaud was cut off by Protoman, "I told you, Chaud. I am fine with it. If anything happens during the experiment, I know I can count on you to bring me to safety."

Chaud smiled inward at the statement. He could remember when he first got Protoman. He was just excited that he got a NetNavi as such a young age. However, after his mother died, his father thrusted him into the corporate world, and Protoman became less and less of a friend, and more and more of a computerized personal assistant. To be able to gain back the friendship they once shared much earlier in their lives, whether Chaud wanted to admit it or not, was priceless in his eyes.

"Ok, then. Everyone, get to your consoles. We will begin in 1 minute," Dr. Hikari said in a stern and commanding voice. Dr. Hikari, while he was very forgetful when it came to certain things, never liked to be late for starting an experiment. He always wanted to start critical experiments on-time, as the data and end result from such experiments were crucial in his research.

"I'll leave everything to you, Chaud. Just make sure you know what you're doing," Protoman said, with a slight grin on his face. Chaud looked at Protoman, and returned the grin. As the grin faded, Chaud jacked Protoman into the Experiment Room computer system. Protoman appeared inside the Navi capsule that was used during the initial CrossFusion experiments. He then looked at Dr. Hikari, and give the green light.

"Alright, Chaud. Here we go, Protoman. If at any point you feel as though something is not right, don't hesitate to let us know. We'll shut down the experiment if you do," Dr. Hikari said, seemingly being the last set of instructions he was going to give Protoman before the experiment began.

"Not a problem, Dr. Hikari. I am sure nothing will go wrong. This is, after all, a process you invented," the red-armored NetNavi said, without any worry in his voice.

"Ok, Protoman," Dr. Hikari said, making a motion to a few of the scientists in the room. "Alright, everyone. Let's start. Begin uploading the the M-Program into Protoman's NetNavi data core."

The M-Program was the name given to the Materialization Program Dr. Hikari created. Instead of a full name, a simple use of the letter 'M' would suffice. The scientists starting pressing keys on their keyboards at a fast rate. They were all working to make sure that nothing went wrong during the process. They all knew that if something did go wrong during this process, Protoman's NetNavi data might be lost in the Cyberworld and need to be found and recovered, or, even worse, deleted altogether.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"…I still think it isn't fair that Chaud and Protoman are the ones that get to test this out. We are just as good as they are, right Megaman," Lan said, looking over at the PET resting on the window sill. The PET was setup so that Megaman was able to see into the Experiment Room.

"We are. But, we probably have your father's concerns for you to thank for not being the first ones to test it out," The blue Navi responded back to this NetOp. Lan simply nodded his again, again in complete agreement with Megaman, and continued to look into the Experiment Room, where Protoman's experiment was currently in process.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Everything seems to be ok so far, Dr. Hikari. Protoman's data is completely stable," one of the scientists stated, while still looking down intently at his monitor. Dr. Hikari looked over the scientist and give a nod and smile. Something was working fine, for a change.

_-WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!-_

Dr. Hikari's smile immediately left his face, and an expression of extreme concern and worry crept into his complexion. "What happened? Protoman! Is everything alright?"

"I…-static- sur…-static-…ore…" Audio contact with Protoman was then cut off. All of the scientists, including Dr. Hikari, scrammed to re-establish communications with Protoman.

"Protoman! Protoman! Respond at once! PROTOMAN," Chaud yelled into his PET. But, it was all to no avail. There was no response from Protoman. Chaud's usual demeanor quickly changed. Now, instead of being indifferent about what was happening, he immediately began to worry about Protoman's safety. Something in the experiment went wrong, and Chaud needed to find out what…for Protoman's sake.

"Chaud! Quick! Is the NetLine still active on your PET," Dr. Hikari yelled to the boy, who immediately was brought out of all thought when he heard the scientist's voice.

"Yeah. It's still active!"  
"Good. That means Protoman is still alive somewhere. I need you to input the override code and retrieve his NetNavi data before something happens to it."  
"What is the code?"  
"The code is MPRGM015. That override code will forcibly retrieve Protoman's NetNavi data and put it back into the PET. However…"  
"However, what? What will happen?"  
"However…such a forced retrieval of a NetNavi's data may cause some serious damage to it. If you use that override code, you may permanently damage Protoman beyond repair."

Well, this wasn't good at all. Chaud had two choices: Let Protoman fend for himself and probably be deleted, or do a forced retrieval, possibly damaging him beyond repair, and leaving him a state of who knows what. But, Chaud quickly came to the decision that a damaged NetNavi was better than no NetNavi at all. Chaud quickly opened up the M-Program on his PET and input the override code.

There was a huge surged of energy through all of the equipment in the Experiment Room. A few monitors blew out, but no one was seriously harmed. Just a few scratches here and there on a few people. Nothing a bandage wouldn't help.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

There was a huge flash of light that emanated from the Navi capsule where Protoman was at the beginning of the experiment. The light was blinding. Megaman and Lan had to cover their eyes to make sure they would be able to see after the light had dissipated. It only took a few seconds, but the flash of light from the Navi capsule disappeared. There stood Protoman. But…not quite as he was at the beginning of the experiment. There were numerous places around his structure that were damage, and the data inside was starting to seep out. One would consider this to be how a NetNavi "bleeds." Though, Protoman wasn't actually inside the capsule. It was just a hologram. He did return to his PET.

"Protoman! Megaman…look at him…his data is breaking up," Lan said, stating the obvious. Megaman had never seen Protoman so damaged. Sure, during their battles, Protoman would get a scratch or two, maybe a dent on his helmet at the worst. But…Megaman was at a lose for words. This was the first time he had ever seen Protoman so badly damaged.

"I guess this is why your dad didn't want us to be the first to try it. If it is this dangerous when the experiment fails…who knows what would have happened to me," Megaman finally said. Lan just simply looked into the Experiment Room, still in shock at what had happened to Chaud's NetNavi.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Protoman? What happened to you," an extremely worried Chaud asked.  
"I…don't know. Before I knew it…it felt like my data was being ripped…apart."  
"Ripped apart? But…how?  
"Maybe there is something…with the program that…ahh!"

Dr. Hikari heard the scream from Protoman, and rushed over to the Navi capsule. "Protoman. Try not to use too much for your strength. Your data was damage severely." Dr. Hikari then looked over at Chaud, with a warm expression on his face. "Chaud. You should probably leave Protoman here at SciLab. We will be able to see the extent of Protoman's damage. If it isn't what we thought it might be, he should be fine."

"Well, that would be good news," Chaud replied to the older man. He then took his PET and handed it to Dr. Hikari.

"Thank you, Chaud," Dr. Hikari said, as he handed the PET to Famous.

"Don't worry about Protoman too much, Chaud. I'll do everything I can to fully restore him," Famous said, as he headed for the doorway. He then left the Experiment Room and headed down a corridor to the NetNavi Recovery Laboratory.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"That just beats all," Lan said, breaking an uneasy silence in the Observation Room. Megaman was still staring in amazement. The experiment was a failure, but for such a thing to damage Protoman like that…he was actually glad that him and Lan were not the first to test it out.

"Yeah. Kinda makes you glad we weren't the first to give it a go," Megaman said back. "Though, now I feel sorry for Chaud and Protoman. Do you think we should go and talk to Chaud?"

"Nah. He probably just wants to be alone right now."


	4. Chapter 4: SciTrip

Chapter 4 – Sci-Trip

"Lan, wake up! You don't want to be late for the field trip today," Megaman called out from his PET. He would have used the holographic projector and screamed in Lan's ear, but it was still not operable. However, on the plus side, Dr. Hikari was able to fix it. All that needed to be done was wait for the patch program to finish calibrating the device so that Megaman can use it.

"…huh? Megaman…it's too early for all that shouting…" an extremely tired Lan Hikari responded to the nagging voice of Megaman. Lan was never a morning person, and Megaman knew that. But, Megaman needed to wake him up so he wasn't late.

"Lan! Quick! The leftover curry is almost gone," Megaman yelled from the PET, attempting to reach out to Lan's stomach instead of his common sense. It became apparent very quickly that Megaman succeeded in his endeavor.

"What? NOT THE CURRY," Lan yelled as he jumped out of bed, almost falling in the process. It didn't take long for Lan to realize that Megaman had tricked him into getting out of bed. Megaman burst out into laughter at Lan's reaction. Lan, however, did not find it amusing in the least.

"Oh, REAL FUNNY, Megaman!"  
"Ha-ha. Well, it did get you up out of bed, didn't it?"  
"You can just yell at me like normal."  
"When has that ever worked, Lan?"  
"It worked yesterday!"  
"Well, it doesn't matter how you got up. The point is that you are up. You need to get ready for the field trip today."  
"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot about that."

From downstairs, a gentle voice could be heard yelling up the stairs. "Lan? Are you up? Breakfast is almost ready. Make sure you get dressed and wash your hands before coming down."

"Hehe. It seems that I'm not the only one that nags you in the morning," Megaman said to Lan, not trying to hide the amusement in his voice. Lan was still trying to get himself organized, as getting up so quickly from sleep left him a little disorientated.

Lan left his PET in his room as he proceeded down the hallway to the bathroom, getting ready to take a shower before he dressed himself and went downstairs for breakfast. He walked through the door, closed and locked it, then started to strip himself of his pajamas. He then began drawing the water for his shower. He stood beside the faucet, completely naked, intermittently putting his hand into the running water, testing it to see when it was warm enough for him to step inside. It took only 20 seconds before he stepped inside and began to cleanse himself.

While in the shower, his minded was flooded with thoughts from the previous day. More or less, they were questions above all else. What would have happened if Chaud didn't act as fast as he did? Would Protoman have been deleted? What if he and Megaman were the first test subjects? Could he have acted like Chaud did in order to save Megaman from some unknown fate?

Then he thought about what if Megaman was the first attempt, and it succeeded. He would be here in the flesh and blood, able to do the same things Lan could do. Lan looked down at himself, and a sheepish grin crossed his face. Another thought then occurred to him…Megaman had never seen someone naked before. 'Oh, I can only imagine how much his face would turn red,' Lan thought. He continued to smile because such a sight for Megaman would probably be more embarrassing for him than the other person.

There were so many thoughts crossing Lan's mind that he lost track of time, and was in the shower for almost 10 minutes. He was brought out of his thoughts with a knock on the bathroom door.

"Lan? Are you ok? You have been in the shower for a while now. Is everything ok," Mrs. Hikari's voice sounded through the door.  
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Everything's fine."  
"Ok. I'm just making sure. Breakfast is ready. Make sure you hurry up."  
"Alright. Thanks, Mom."

Lan quickly wrapped things up, washing off what soap and shampoo was left, shut the water off, wrapped himself in a tower, and exited the bathroom. He walked down the hallway to his bedroom. Although he knew where he was going and what he was doing, his mind was still trying to process all of the questions that ran through his head. So many of them were left unanswered, and that bothered Lan a lot. He opened the door to his room, and Megaman took an immediate notice to Lan's changed demeanor.

"Lan, are you ok? You look like something bad just happened to you," an observant Megaman stated as Lan walked into the room.  
"Uhh…oh. I'm fine. Just thinking about what happened yesterday, and how Chaud must feel about it."  
"Yeah. I can only imagine how he must feel right now."  
"I mean…he almost lost Protoman during that experiment. If he didn't act how he did, Protoman might have been deleted."  
"Hn. You're probably right, Lan."

The same gentle voice from downstairs could be heard once more. "Lan, hurry up. You don't want to be late for your field trip," the voice called up. His mom was right. If he didn't hurry, he would be late for the field trip. Lan quickly turned his PET around to make sure Megaman didn't see anything, like he always did (he seemed to be a little insecure about it), dressed himself, put on his headband and PET arm-strap, picked up his PET, and proceeded downstairs to have breakfast.

Lan didn't waste anytime getting his breakfast this morning. Now that he knew he would be late if he didn't hurry, he really didn't eat. He, for lack of a better word, scarfed down his breakfast.

"Well, someone is a little hungry this morning," Mrs. Hikari said, observing how her son was eating. She knew that Lan really loved to eat food, but he normally would take his time to eat breakfast, which was one of the other reasons he was almost always late to class, aside from sleeping late.

"If I don't eat quickly, I am gonna be late for the field trip. So, I gotta eat fast," Lan responded, with a mouth almost completely full of food, naturally. Mrs. Hikari smiled inward at the sight. The last time Lan wanted to get to a place this early was during the first N1 Grand Prix almost 2 years ago.

"Well, just make sure you don't give your father any trouble during the field trip today," Mrs. Hikari told Lan, with a more than noticeable smile on her face. Lan simply nodded his head.

"Alright, mom. No trouble from me today, I promise you that," Lan said, obviously getting a little cocky in his response.

Megaman snickered a little at the comment, but was able to keep it quiet. Lan then left the table, said goodbye to his mother, and went out the front door. 'Wow. I think I am actually on time,' Lan thought. He decided that since he was on time, for once, that he would wait a little bit to put his skates on. As he was walking down the street, he ran into Maylu, Dex, Tory, and Yai. It seemed like they were all waiting for him.

"There you are, Lan. Where were you yesterday? We were worried about you," an obviously worried Maylu said as Lan approached the group. Dex, Tory, and Yai seemed to have the exact same worried expressions on their faces.

"Oh, sorry I made you worry. I had to go to SciLab so that my dad could…" Lan was cut-off by an over-excited Dex. "REALLY? You were at SciLab yesterday? Did you get to see this big project they are working on?"

"Chill out, Dex. At least let Lan finish his sentence before you go and interrupt him," Yai pointed out.  
"What do you mean by that? I am totally chilled out right now!"  
"Hey, you two. There's no need to argue," Tory stated, trying to breakup the two.

Maylu and Lan just listened to the 3 of them duke it out. They simply looked at each other, smiled, and had a small, shared laugh at the situation. Once the laughter faded, Maylu looked at Lan with a rather curious look in her eyes. Lan wasn't sure what that look was, but he really hated it when she gave him that look. It made him feel uneasy, as though she thought they were boyfriend-girlfriend. He did like Maylu. He liked her as a close friend, But, he didn't like her in the boyfriend-girlfriend sort of way. Still, she persisted in giving Lan that look.

"Just out of curiosity, did you find out what that experiment is," she finally asked, breaking the rather awkward moment between them.

"Yeah, I did see it first hand. I guess being the son of the head scientist has its perks," Lan said, rubbing the back of is head with a sheepish grin on his face.

As though like it was clockwork, Dex, Tory, and Yai stopped fighting when they heard Lan's words. Their attention immediately turned towards what the 11-year old NetBattler had to say next. Lan looked over his shoulders and had a surprised look on his face when he came face-to-face with the three friends that were arguing just a few seconds ago.

"You did? What was it like," Dex asked.  
"Was it something really cool," Yai added.  
"Are you allowed to tell us about it," Tory said in conclusion.

Lan felt like he was in the middle of the Spanish Inquisition. All of these questions, seemingly out of nowhere. He was taken aback by the sudden change in demeanor of his three friends, and hesitated to reply quickly. He could see the look on their faces; the looks of people who were starving for information that only one person knew, looks that wanted to be able to know what was suppose to be secret, looks that tried their hardest to get what they wanted.

"Uhhh…well…it was…"Lan quickly thought of a way out of it. And, what better way to get out of it than to continue with his original plan of getting to SciLab on time.

This was his chance. While they were all waiting for him to spill the beans, he could easily turn around and skate at full speed to his destination. And, after a very quick internal debate with himself, he decided it would be in his best interests.

"It was…actually quite…BYE!"

Lan quickly skated off past his friends. He wanted to move at fast as his legs would take him. He skated so fast and so hard that he felt as though his legs were on fire. His friends, the ones who he just left behind, were not even the slightest amused by his actions. As though their minds were tied into a single being, they all shouted, in unison, "LAN HIKARI! GET BACK HERE!"

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"That wasn't a nice thing to do, Lan. You just ditched your friends, not once, but twice in the past two days," Megaman said, making an observation of the situation. Lan, however, was too busy worrying about what would happen if they caught up to him. 'Oh, man. They would probably skin me alive if they caught me right now. Gotta move fast if I want to get to SciLab safely," Lan thought to himself. Megaman noticed that Lan had ignored his comment, and quickly figured out why.

"Are you even listening to me, Lan?"  
"Huh? Did you say something, Megaman?"  
"Yeah. I said do you realize that you ditched your friends twice in two days?"  
"Oh, that? They'll get over it."  
"From the sound of them yelling, I would say it will be a long time before they get over it."  
"Megaman, you have to look at it from a different perspective."  
"How so?"  
"Well, for starters, the experiment was a secret. If I told them, it would spoil the surprise during the tour."  
"Hmmm…I guess you're right about that."

This must have been Lan's week. For the second time so far, he was right and Megaman was wrong. This week was just too good to be true. He was going to be on time for the second day in a row, which happened to be a new record for him, and he was right over Megaman not once, but twice.

"Hey, Lan. We will be at SciLab in a few minutes. You don't have to hurry anymore," Megaman called from the PET.  
"Yeah, I know. But…Dex, Tory, Maylu, and Yai might still be after me."  
"Then you shouldn't have ditched them."  
"Hey! I didn't ask for your opinion!"  
"Hahahaha."  
"What's so funny, Megaman?"  
"Hehe. Oh, nothing, really."

Well, Lan knew he could slow down a bit. This was one of those times when he would over-exaggerate the situation. Maylu, Dex, Yai, and Tory had already given up pursuit and could not be seen behind Lan. So, like Megaman suggested, he slowed his pace down a bit. He if kept going at this now slowed pace, he would make it to the SciLab front gate about 5 minutes before 9:00am. Now, another thought crossed Lan's mind. Not only would he be on time, he would actually be early!

_-beep, beep, beep, beep-_

"Huh? What was that sound, Megaman," Lan asked, a small hint of worry in his voice.

"It seems the patch your father made for the holographic projector is finally complete. Let me see if I can use it," Megaman replied back. Lan heard a few more beeps come from his PET. He still continued to look forward, making sure he didn't hit anyone or anything while on his way to SciLab. The last thing he needed was to have a so far perfect day be ruined by some clumsy mistake.

Lan then heard another noise. But, this time, it didn't come from his PET. The noise sounded very familiar. He instinctively looked at his shoulder to find a translucent holographic image of Megaman standing there.

"Megaman! The projector is working," an overly-excited Lan exclaimed, as his eyes looked at his translucent friend.

"Alright! You're dad's patch did the trick! I just had to run a quick diagnostic to make sure it was working properly, and then I booted it up. It is working like it was just built yesterday," Megaman said, showing nothing but a voice of agreement with Lan.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Can you believe that Lan? He was about to tell us, and he runs off," Maylu exclaimed, with a rather annoyed tone in her voice.

"Yeah, and Megaman didn't even say why he ran off. That was just rude," Roll said, with the same annoyed tone in her voice like that of Maylu's

"Well, at least we know that Lan knows something. If he didn't then he wouldn't have run off," Yai pointed out. Tory, Dex, and Maylu all looked at each other and nodded their heads in agreement. They knew Lan wasn't good at keeping stuff secret. It was like a fact of nature, in a way. They knew that he knew what the experiment was, or he wouldn't have just up and run off like he did.

"If Lan had to run off like that, it must be something really important," Dex observed, as him and everyone else continued down the sidewalk to SciLab. Maylu, however, had a different thought in the back of her mind.

'I just hope it isn't anything to dangerous.'

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"What do you suppose this experiment is," Glide asked the other 3 NetNavis standing around him.  
"It must be something big, guts guts," Gutsman pointed out.  
"I agree. Something that even Lan can keep a secret has to be top notch," Roll said, in agreement with Gutsman.  
"Maybe it is something that will help put evil NetNavis on ice," Iceman said, with some amusement in his voice.

The 4 NetNavis, Glide, Roll, Gutsman, and Iceman, all laughed at Iceman's comment. It wasn't the fact that it was humorous is any way, but that it was something Iceman would said. Regardless of the fact that he would say silly puns like that all the time, it was still a little humorous in some form or another. But, they all knew that they shouldn't put such ideas past SciLab.

SciLab, being the place where the current Network was first invented, works almost around the clock to think of and create new ways for people to have better access to the Network, improve virus busting, and even help with the restoration and upgrading of NetNavis. SciLab is short for "Science Laboratories" and also goes by another name: The Ministry of Science. Aside from the Trident Tower, home of the TRINITY Brain computer, SciLab is the leading creator of components for all things that deal with the Cyber world.

"Do you really think that what SciLab is making has something to do with keeping evil NetNavis at bay," Glide said, showing interest in the subject.

"I guess only time will tell. We will find out today, since the field trip is going to be at SciLab," Roll stated, though it was obvious to the other 3 NetNavis. Gutsman, Iceman, and Glide all looked at Roll and nodded in agreement.

"Let's just hope that nothing goes wrong today."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"We're almost there, Megaman. I can't wait to see the look on everyone's faces when they see what my dad and everyone else at SciLab have created," Lan said, not holding back an ounce of excitement.

"You got that right, Lan. It's gonna be worth the wait to see what Roll and the others think about your dad's project," Megaman said, in total agreement with Lan's previous statement.

"Here we are, Megaman. Good ol' SciLab. Hey, there's Ms. Mari. She is gonna be so surprised to see me here this early," an excited Lan Hikari proclaimed as he approached his teacher. "Good morning, Ms. Mari!"

"Lan? Is that you," Ms. Mari said, surprised to see Lan, not only on time, but early, to boot.

"It sure is, Ms. Mari."  
"My, aren't you here early, even for you."  
"Yeah, hehe," Lan said. He scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin on his face. "I wanted to make 100 percent sure that I wasn't late today. So, I got up extra early this morning."  
"Well, I hope this will be a continuing trend for you."

Megaman looked at Lan from the boy's shoulder. He snickered to himself, and couldn't help but blurt out the truth, even with Ms. Mari standing right there for her to hear him. "You know that isn't true, Lan. You got here because you had to run away from your friends that you ditched so you didn't have to tell them about yesterday."

"Megaman! Can't you ever keep that mouth of yours closed," Lan said, with a mix of anger and embarrassment in his voice. Megaman only laughed at the comment. Ms Mari, who had heard the past few comments, also laughed a little bit. This caused a slight blush to appear across Lan's face. Not only did he have Megaman laughing at his comment, but now Ms. Mari.

The laughter died down as the rest of the class arrived at the front gate of SciLab. This included several of Lan's classmates, including the four friends he had ditched earlier that morning.

"Alright, now that everyone is here, I would like to introduce you to Dr. Yuichiro Hikari. He is the scientist responsible for setting up this field trip. Now, I want to remind everyone not to touch anything while we are inside. We don't know what the machines and devices in SciLab are for. So, please keep your hands, feet, and PETs to yourselves," Ms. Mari said, giving the standard field trip lecture before letting Dr. Hikari speak to the children.

"Alright, everyone. Let me welcome you to SciLab. Let's begin our tour."


	5. Chapter 5: Cannonman Attacks

Chapter 5 – Cannonman Attacks

The students of the 6th grade followed Dr. Hikari and their teacher, Ms. Mari, through the gates of SciLab and into the main lobby. Here, Dr. Hikari started to give an introduction speech to the students. All of them paid attention to the speech…except for Lan. His mind was still stuck on thoughts about Megaman being in the real world. However, he was quickly brought out of his thoughts when a familiar voice spoke to him.

"Lan. If you don't hurry, you are going to fall behind in the tour," Megaman said, standing on Lan's shoulder. The hologram of Megaman got a small glance from Lan before he smiled a bit. Lan looked around and saw that the rest of his class were already leaving the lobby and going into the adjacent hallway.

"Well, it isn't like I will get lost or something like that."  
"True, But, Ms. Mari doesn't know you spend a lot of time here. So, it would be best to not make her worry."  
"Yeah…you're probably right."  
"Alright, then. Your class just went through the doorway. Better catch up!"

Without another word, Lan hurried to the doorway that led to the interior of SciLab. Still, Lan couldn't stop thinking about the experiment…and about Chaud and Protoman. What happened to Protoman was huge. It wasn't something that a person can just forget about the very next day. No. This was something that would remain in the Lan's memory until Protoman was completely healed. The only problem with that theory was…who knew when Protoman would be back to 100 percent functionality. Lan decided he could ask his dad after the field trip was over. After all, they would be in the same building for the next hour or so. So, Lan figured that he would have a little time before the class left after the tour.

Dr. Hikari continued to show Lan's class the interior of SciLab. Most of the 6th grade class had never seen SciLab before, save for Lan, Maylu, Dex, and Yai. Tory had never really seen SciLab the way that his 4 other friends have. He was mostly off doing something at home, or taking ice skating lessons. Needless to say, out of the 5 of them, he was probably the one who was most impressed by everything around him.

"If you look to your left, you will see the Virtual Training Room. In here, NetOps and NetNavis can hone their skills against pre-programmed viruses. Since SciLab works in close connections with the Net Police, we often get Net Agents and NetSavers to come here and train. Right now, no one is training, because a Net Agent and NetSaver's identities must be kept secret, as you may already know," Dr. Hikari explained to the school children. They were impressed that SciLab, a building that specializes in the research and implementation of advances in the network, worked so closely with the Net Police.

One of the students raised his hand. "Dr. Hikari. How many Net Agents and NetSavers have come through SciLab?"

"That's a good question. Because we work so closely with the Net Police, it is hard to keep track of how many of their officials have been here. But, if I was to give a rough estimate, I would have to say around six, which includes the Commissioner and his assistant," Dr. Hikari said, thoroughly answering the student's question.

"Really? That little," a different student asked.

Dr. Hikari let out a hearty chuckle at the comment. "Well, like I said, we work closely with the Net Police. However, that doesn't mean that every one of their officers have been in SciLab. Now, let's continue the tour."

The students continued to follow Dr. Hikari deeper and deeper into the interior of SciLab. Many of them were impressed by all of the technological devices that were scattered across the rooms that they passed on the tour.

"And, here, we have the NetNavi Recovery Room. The scientists inside this room work to make sure that damaged or malfunctioning NetNavis are restored to their original way. This room was heavily used during the first DarkChip outbreak 9 months ago. Nowadays, it is used to help NetNavis get repaired when they are attacked by viruses and get damage too much for standard PET repair programs," Dr. Hikari explained to the eager students.

The students pressed their faces up against the window of the NetNavi Recovery Room in order to get a better look at what was going on inside. They could see various scientists working on several different NetNavis, checking to make sure they were operating well, repairing damaged areas on their structures, and then getting them ready to be transmitted back to their NetOps.

Lan was also looking inside to see what the scientists were up to. Actually, he didn't have much of an interest in seeing what they were doing. He wanted to see if he could spot Chaud's PET, hoping that Protoman was in the capable hands of the SciLab technicians. His eyes probed the room in front of him, trying to spot the red-colored PET. When he didn't see it after 30 seconds, he figured that Protoman was already repaired, and sent back to Chaud. However, just as Lan started to turn away, one of the technicians moved and revealed Chaud's PET on a stand. The color of the PET caught Lan's eye, as well as Megaman's, who was still on Lan's shoulder.

"Hey, Megaman. Look over there. It's Chaud's PET. I guess Protoman is still getting repairs," Lan said, looking back and forth from his shoulder to the NetNavi Recovery Room.

"Yeah. But, when you think about it, Protoman was pretty beat up after that experiment failed. I guess it was too much for even him to handle," Megaman said, in half-agreement with Lan. They both looked at each other with worried expressions on their faces before turning away from the window and following the rest of the class.

"Next, on your right, you will see a hallway that goes to the Observation Room, also called the Observation Deck. In there, people can observe what happens in the room next to it. We will get to that in a few more moments," Dr. Hikari said, continuing on with the tour. Lan, Dex, Maylu, and Yai already knew what room was next to the Observation Room.

"Now, everyone. I have a question to ask you. How many of you have heard that SciLab was working on a revolutionary experiment, but we're keeping exactly what it was top secret," Dr. Hikari asked the students, trying his hardest not to show any amusement in his voice. Almost every hand shot into the air.

"I see word gets around fast, but that isn't surprising in this day in age," Dr. Hikari said, finally releasing what amusement he had bottled up inside him. "Well, then I have a special treat for you. You, the 6th grade class of DenTech Academy, will be the first civilians to know about the new experiment we are working on."

As soon as those last words left Dr. Hikari's mouth, there was nothing but astonishment amongst the students. Even Ms. Mari was taken aback by Dr. Hikari's statement. Something like this rarely, if ever, happened. SciLab was so secretive about what they were experimenting on, that no one ever found out about it until whatever they were working on was released to the public. Such an instance was the Link PET. Although, BlazeQuest and SciLab worked together to finish that project.

"Dr. Hikari. Are you sure that it is alright to show us such a top secret project," Ms. Mari asked the scientist.  
"It shouldn't be a problem. It is still at the experimental stage. We could be years away from perfecting it.  
"Ok. I guess then we shouldn't wait here if you are ready to show us."  
"With pleasure, Ms. Mari."  
"Ok, class. Follow Dr. Hikari to the next room. And, make sure you stay together."

The students continued to follow the scientist to the next area in the hallway. Even though they had seen it yesterday, Lan and Megaman were actually getting a little excited about the unraveling. It wasn't so much that they were excited for themselves; they were excited to see the look on everyone's faces when the project was revealed. It wasn't some small feat to be able to materialize NetNavis into the human world without the assistance of a Copyroid or Dimensional Area.

"Ok, everyone. This next, and final room, may be considered the most important one in all of SciLab," Dr. Hikari announced to the class to students. "This is what we call the Experiment Room. It is where we research and develop all of the upgrades, components, and other objects for the Cyber world. We have also developed several different components for NetNavis, which brings me to the big surprise."

All of the students were listening intently to what the scientist had to say next. After all of the rumors that had circulated around the net, after all of the waiting, after all of the anticipation, the students of DenTech Academy's 6th grade class were going to be the first civilians in the whole WORLD to be told what this top secret project was.

"Ms. Mari. I can see it in their eyes and faces, even yours. You all must be very excited about this announcement," Dr. Hikari said, making an obvious observation, and showing some amusement in his voice.

"Very much so, Dr. Hikari. For such a high level project to be revealed before it is ready is such a rare thing. And, to top all that off, to a class of 6th graders," an excited Ms. Mari stated. All of the students, still in complete listening mode, nod in agreement with Ms. Mari.

"Well, then. I guess I better not keep you waiting," Dr. Hikari stated, as he turned to the room in front of the group.

"As some of you may know, not too long ago, there was an incident that engulfed the whole world," Dr. Hikari began. Lan knew this was going to be a long speech.

"It was the insidious Dr. Regal who encased the world in what we call a Dimensional Area. Only minutes after the world was covered, Dr. Regal was able to delete a NetNavi called Shademan. Shademan was from a race of NetNavis called 'Darkloids.' He was their leader. Prior to what we now call the 'Regal Incident,' Shademan was able to use highly advanced programming to allow himself to enter the human world without the need for a Dimensional Area."

The students and Ms. Mari all looked at Dr. Hikari with a large amount of interest. They knew of the event fairly well. Who didn't? It covered the entire planet. Most people agreed that there wasn't a single person alive who did not know about the event. Still, Dr. Hikari continued with his speech.

"About a month ago, while researching on the Net, scientists here at SciLab discovered what appeared to be fragments of Shademan's deleted data. After decoding it, we found this data to be the very program that he incorporated into himself that allowed him to pass between the Cyber and Human worlds."

Gasps could be heard in the group of students.

"Through the hard work of the scientists here, we have been able to replicate this data, and form it into a program, called the M-Program, short for Materialization Program."

The eyes of the students, and even Ms. Mari, all lit up. They could already tell where this speech was going. The exciting for Dr. Hikari's final words of his speech grew to exponential proportions inside the students and teacher. Even Lan and Megaman were getting excited again.

"I can see it all on your faces. You probably know what I am going to say. And, you are correct. Using this program, we hope to be able to install it into NetNavis, allowing them to pass between worlds, and interact with their NetOps."

Wows, gasps, and many other forms of vocal excitement rang from the group of students. This had to have been the single most important and innovative discovery in the history of the Net. To be able to materialize NetNavis, without something called a Dimensional Area, was…unbelievable.

"However, right now, we are only at the Experimental stage. It may be a long ways off before we can perfect this program. However, we believe that, through the M-Program, we can ensure a very promising future between the human race and NetNavis," Dr. Hikari finally said, concluding his speech.

One of the students raised his hand. "How does it all work?"

"Perhaps I can answer that," called a voice from behind the children. They all turned around to see none-other-than Famous standing behind them.

"Oh, good. You did make it. Children, this is Mr. Famous. He is our resident expert on NetNavi recovery. If ever a NetNavi is damage, even to the most serious of extents, he is the person we call for help," said a smiling Dr. Hikari.

"Please, call me Famous."  
"Famous. You said you would like to explain the process to the children?"  
"Of course, Dr. Hikari."

The students all turned their attention to the man behind them. He was wearing his usual glasses, orange shirt with the number 20 on it, lab coat, black pants, and orange sneakers.

"Unlike other programs that create solid holograms, the M-Program doesn't just make the NetNavi into a solid hologram. Rather, it is like the NetNavi is being removed from Cyberspace. Basically, it is re-writing its data to match that of an actual human being. Through the M-Program, a NetNavi is brought out of the Cyberworld and into the Human world…in living flesh and blood."

The group was in complete awe. Solid holograms were one thing, but to actually bring a NetNavi into the human world, in living flesh and blood…that was even more unbelievable.

"There is more. This materialization is not permanent. Through what Dr. Hikari calls the 'NetLine,' NetNavis that use the M-Program to come to the Human world and easily return to the Cyber world. This NetLine is like a wireless data stream that links the NetOp's PET to the NetNavi. At any time, the materialized NetNavi can use the NetLine to return to their PET, and they will be just like normal," Famous said, concluding his speech on the subject.

Maylu raised her hand to ask a question. She had wanted to ask it since Dr. Hikari unveiled the project.

"You said that the project is in the Experimental Phase. Have there been any actual test subjects?"

Dr. Hikari, Famous, Lan, and Megaman, all gave each other worried expressions. Thoughts of what happened the day before all filed their heads. It was a topic that they really didn't want to talk about. Some of the students took note of the facial expressions on Famous and Dr. Hikari's faces. Finally, Dr. Hikari broke the silence.

"Yes. One NetNavi was used in an initial experiment. It was yesterday, as a matter of fact," the scientist stated. Numerous students got excited and just blurted out comments and questions without raising their hands.

"Really? Just yesterday?"  
"Who was the NetNavi?"  
"Was it a success?"

Dr. Hikari looked at the children, trying not to let his demeanor change in front of them. However, the more he thought about the events of the past day, the more his facial expression went from a smile to a more indifferent look.

"Yes. It was just yesterday. Unfortunately, the experiment was not a success. During the installation of the M-Program into the NetNavi, something went wrong, and the NetNavi's data started to break up. If the NetOp didn't act as fast as he did, his NetNavi would have surely faced deletion," Dr. Hikari stated, with a more than obvious sense of dread in his voice. The students immediately took note of this, and their expressions changed as well.

"That is why this is still at the Experimental Stage. Once we analyze the data from the experiment, we should be able to figure out what went wrong, correct it, and make sure that such a thing does not happened again," Dr. Hikari added.

Dex raised his hand. "How is the NetNavi doing now? Will it be ok?"

"The NetNavi was badly damage. However, we assessed that the damage to his programming wasn't as severe as we thought it was. Given another day or 2, he should be fully recovered," Dr. Hikari said, answering Dex's question.

Ms. Mari then stepped in front of the group of children. "I know what you all must have a lot of questions. However, we should head back to the lobby. So, get into a single file line and head back down the hallway.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"So, this is what you didn't tell us, Lan," Maylu asked Lan, who was sitting beside her in the Lobby.

"Yeah. When Megaman and I came here yesterday, we saw the first experiment. It was so cool to see it. But, like my dad said, something did go wrong, and the experiment was a failure," Lan said, in a gloomy way.

"Hey, cheer up, Lan. At least it wasn't us who were the first ones," Megaman said, trying to reassure Lan, hoping to snap him out of the mood he was in.

"By the way, Lan. Who was the first person to do the experiment," Yai asked, wondering who else could have been the first besides Lan and Megaman.

"…It was Chaud and Protoman," Lan said, still in a gloomy state-on-mind.

"CHAUD AND PROTOMAN?"

Yai, Dex, Maylu, and Tory were all surprised to hear those words come out of Lan's mouth. They knew that Chaud liked to take risks, and thought himself and Protoman to be invincible, but to take such a huge risk that would have deleted Protoman if he didn't act fast enough…What was Chaud THINKING?

Their conversation was cut short, as alarms inside SciLab started to go off. This send the Lobby into a panic, as these alarms meant that something terrible was about to unfold. Ms. Mari quickly instructed the students to remain calm. One of the SciLab scientists came out and told the students and teacher to move to the interior of the building, seeing as if there was some kind of outside threat, they could be safest when further inside.

"Lan, what's going on," a worried Maylu asked, as she grabbed onto Lan's arm tightly. Lan felt her arms around his right arm. She was squeezing so tight that the blood circulation to his hand was cut off.

"Maylu, you can grab my arm all you want, but not so tight," Lan said, trying not to sound angry or worried, though his voice said otherwise.

Maylu looked at Lan. She didn't realize that she was grabbing so tightly onto his arm. Her grip slowly loosened. Lan felt relieved. He hand had gone a little numb, but it was getting better.

"Ok, everyone. Continue down this hallway and take a left. There will be a descending staircase that goes to a shelter. Quickly now," A SciLab official said, directing the students down a corridor.

As they continued on their way, a loud crash could be heard throughout the building. Though, it wasn't a normal crash. Whatever made the sound actually came from OUTSIDE SciLab and crashed inside. It was clear it came from the outside because the impact of the object shook the building down to its foundation. Scientists were scrambling to find the source of the sound.

As the students made their way through the hallways, Lan got a call on his PET.

"Lan! Are you there?  
"Huh? Is that you, Mr. Famous?"  
"Famous, just Famous. Anyway, you probably heard the crash. I want you and Megaman to check it out. We believe it impacted somewhere by the elevator to the lower experiment room."  
"Roger, Mr. Famous. We're on our way!"  
"Just Famous!"

Lan had to make sure that everyone was distracted. SciLab officials knew Lan was a NetSaver, so he knew they wouldn't try to keep him with the group. The problem came in actually getting AWAY from them. He looked at Maylu, Dex, and Yai, and an idea came into his head.

"Maylu, Dex, Yai. I need your help. Mr. Famous just called me and I need to find the source of that crash. Can you guys distract Ms. Mari and everyone else while I get away," Lan asked, hoping that his friends would be there to help him.

Maylu, Dex, and Yai looked at each other, and simply nodded at Lan. That was the only response that he needed. They quickly set the plan into motion.

"Ouch! Ms. Mari!" Maylu fell to the ground, trying her best to feign an injury. The yell caught the attention of Ms. Mari, just like she planned.

"Maylu! Are you ok," Ms. Mari asked, worried near to death. Her worry wasn't only for Maylu's injury, but more or less a combination of Maylu's injury and the events unfolding around them. She signaled everyone else to keep moving, while she tried to help Maylu. While Ms. Mari was helping Maylu, Dex and Yai blocked her sight for a moment, just enough let Lan slip away without being noticed.

"That was close, Megaman. We better get to where they think that object crashed."  
"Right. I'll get you a path now."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

It didn't take long for Lan to make it to the elevator that went to the lower levels of SciLab. However, upon arriving, he saw nothing…at least, at first. He then opened the elevator door to discover a hole in the roof of the shaft. Whatever came crashing down didn't land near the elevator. It landed inside the elevator. What it was, it didn't crash on an angle. No, it came straight down…from wherever it came from.

"You think we should climb down to check it out, Megaman?"  
"Hmmm…Mr. Famous did ask us to investigate."  
"You're right. Let's go."

Lan climbed inside the elevator shaft, only to be shocked by what he saw. As he looked down the shaft, he saw what appeared to be a capsule. It crashed through the shaft, but seemed to have nuzzled inside the actual elevator.

"Hold on…that capsule isn't natural."  
"You're right, Lan. It must have been man-made."  
"But…who would make it and then…" Lan's words were cut short as the capsule opened.

Both he and Megaman, who was still standing on Lan's shoulder as a translucent hologram, looked inside the capsule. Their expressions both went from shocked to horrified, then to a mix of the two emotions. As the capsule opened, it revealed a Copyroid inside. As soon as the pod opened and the Copyroid revealed, a NetNavi jacked-in from the elevator control panel.

"Uhhh…Lan…"  
"I know, Megaman. We better get out of here!"

The Copyroid started to take the form of the NetNavi that just jacked-into it. Lan quickly moved up the ladder of the elevator shaft and exited the shaft onto the same floor which he came from.

And, not a moment too soon.

Just as he exited the shaft, a shot from what looked like a cannon came roaring up from the location of the Copyroid, just barely missing Lan. He quickly scrambled to his feet and ran down the hallway.

"A copyroid? I thought we got rid of them all, Lan."  
"You forget, Megaman. Bubbleman was selling them not too long ago. Some of them must have been bought and stored. For all we know, the UnderNet Market might be full of them."  
"I hope not. I don't want to have to deal with UnderNet Navis."  
"Don't give up just yet, Megaman. We can still take on that NetNavi."

Lan pulled his PET off its armband and called up the first person that came to his mind.

"Mr. Famous! We need some help!"  
"Just Famous! What is the problem?"  
"We have a NetNavi that just jacked-into a copyroid in SciLab. We need a Dimensional Area up."  
"Will do."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Mr. Famous. What is wrong with the Dimensional Generator," Dr. Hikari asked, knowing that his son had just requested a Dimensional Area.

"We designed the Dimensional Generator to place Dimensional Areas in places so that Lan and Chaud could fight the Asteroid NetNavis. However, we never took into account that SciLab itself would ever be under attack."  
"What do you mean by that?"  
"What I mean is that it will take some time to recalibrate the generator to produce an Dimensional Area around SciLab."  
"How much time do you need, Mr. Famous?"  
"About 5 minutes. It shouldn't take too long."  
"Alright. Get started on that. We need to seal off that NetNavi."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Lan continued to run as fast as he could. He knew that the NetNavi was behind him…somewhere. He heard explosions every now and then, which meant that the NetNavi was still around…causing whatever damage it could. Suddenly, Lan got a call on his PET. It was from his dad.

"Lan, listen carefully. Mr. Famous needs to recalibrate the Dimensional Generator so that it will produce a Dimensional Area around SciLab. What I need you to do is make sure that the NetNavi doesn't get too far. Seal him off with as many of the security doors as you can! It should only take 5 minutes to get the Dimensional Area up."

"Right, dad. Once Mr. Famous is done with that, we will kick that NetNavi's butt!"  
"Just keep him contained for the time being, son. I don't want you getting hurt."  
"I won't, dad. Let's go, Megaman!"  
"I'm with you, Lan. Let's show this NetNavi what we are made off!"

With that, Lan turned around and headed back down the hallway. He wasn't sure where the NetNavi was now, but he had to have been down one of the corridors he just came from. He briefly looked down each one, seeing if there was any indication that the NetNavi was there. There wasn't any indication as to which way the NetNavi was…until a Cannon blast came from one of the corridors and also hit Lan.

"Lan! Are you ok?"  
"Yeah, I'm fine, Megaman. It just missed me."

While Lan was attempting to recover from dodging such as blast, he heard footsteps coming from down the corridor that Cannon blast came from. Lan looked up to see the NetNavi responsible for the attack on SciLab. It was rather tall, was colored in green, blue, and red, as well as his hands being…well…not there. He had hands like Torchman would. Lan gathered what courage he had in him, stood up, and questioned the NetNavi.

"So, you are the one responsible for the attack. Who are you?"  
"My name is Cannonman. And you, Lan Hikari, are in the way of the UnderNet Mafia!"

That being said, Cannonman aimed his right arm at Lan. However, Lan was able to quickly think of another question before Cannonman took his shot.

"Wait! Who is the UnderNet Mafia?"

"Ha-ha. Well, since you are about to die, I might as well tell you. We are a group of Solo NetNavis that have had it with humans interfering with the affairs of the UnderNet," Cannonman began. This didn't sound well to Lan. "So, we have set out to destroy any and all NetNavis that have NetOps, as well as dispose of NetOps with the ability to CrossFuse. Once we rid the Net of all NetNavis with NetOps, we will proceed to take over the human world, and claim it as our own!"

As Cannonman finished his speech, the arm that was aiming at Lan turned into a green cannon. Both Lan and Megaman recognized what exactly it was. This NetNavi seems to have uploaded the Cannon BattleChip, and it was now pointing directly at Lan.

"Lan, move out of the way!"  
"I can't! There's nowhere to take cover!"  
"Say goodbye, Lan Hikari! Cannon!"

Lan closed his eyes and prepared for the worst. As Cannonman fired his shot, a blast door appeared in-between the Cannon blast and Lan. He opened his eyes to see the door there, and breathed out in a sigh of relief. He turned to see Chaud standing in a corridor behind him with his hand on a button.

"Chaud! I was wondering where that door came from. You closed it, didn't you?"  
"You're getting quicker on the uptake, Lan."  
"Hehe. Well, you know what they say. It takes…"  
"Enough talk, Lan. Famous is almost done making the corrections. Get yourself ready. I need to check the rest of this area for people who might be trapped."  
"Right, and thanks again!"

Chaud went down another corridor to run his inspection. Lan went in the opposite direction of the now closed blast door. It was only a matter of time before Cannonman blasted his way through the door. Megaman knew it wasn't going to hold long.

"We gotta put some distance between us and Cannonman. We need to stay alive so that Mr. Famous can finish the recalibrations," Megaman said, trying to sound reassuring to Lan. However, it wasn't working like he wanted.

"You make it sound like I can't pull it off, Megaman. Put a little more faith in me," Lan said back to Megaman, with a noticeable grin on his face. Megaman took notice of this, and smiled back.

Lan and Megaman suddenly heard a blast come from behind them. They had no doubts that Cannonman had finally succeeded in blasting through the door. They knew that he was now on his way to carry out his mission to get rid of them.

Lan got back to the Lobby of SciLab. "Here. This should give us enough to move around. Now, we just have to wait for Mr. Famous to…" Lan was cut off by a voice from his PET.

"Just Famous! Lan, the recalibrations are complete. Activating the Dimensional Generator!"  
"Thanks Mr. Famous!"  
"Just Fam…oh, I give up."

Famous cut communications just as Cannonman blasted his way into the main Lobby. He found Lan standing in front of him, holding his PET in hand.

"You finally stopped running. Time to end this, Lan Hikari!"  
"Not this time, Cannonman!"

As Lan completed his sentence, the Dimensional Generators on top of the building activated, sending a beam of energy towards the SciLab satellite, which then reflected the beam of energy back towards SciLab, encasing the entire campus in a Dimensional Area.

"This is where we send you packing! Let's do it, Megaman!"  
"I'm with you, Lan!"  
"SynchroChip in, Download! Begin CrossFusion now!"

A bright sphere of light encased Lan as his PET disappeared and Megaman's armor began to materialize onto Lan's body. The first to appear were the boots, followed by the gloves, then chest emblem. Lan's body shined as it became covered in a bodysuit, and shoulder pads formed after, Finally, Megaman's helmet, face guard, and back-piece materialized, completing the transformation.

Lan stepped out of the sphere of white light and stood before Cannonman.

"You come to the human world just so you can get rid of me? I'm not if I should be flattered or scared," Lan said, showing no restraint for his obviously sarcastic comment.  
"You talk tough, Lan Hikari. But, let's see you back it up. Hi-Cannon!"

The other hand on Cannonman then turned into a blue cannon. He now had a Cannon on his left arm, and a Hi-Cannon on his right arm.

"No way! He can summon a Hi-Cannon as well? This is gonna be one tough fight, Megaman."  
"Just stay on your toes, Lan. We have beaten tougher guys than him."

Cannonman could overhear Lan and Megaman's conversation. He couldn't help but start laughing at the Human/Navi hybrid in front of him.

"Hey, what do you think is so funny," Lan demanded to know. Cannonman only kept on laughing. Such a display of laughter only served to make Lan angry at the situation.  
"Keep on laughing, Cannonman. Because that is how you are going to be defeated. CyberSword, Double Download!"

Lan's completed sentence sparked a change in his hands, as 2 CyberSwords appeared on them. He then started a charging assault on Cannonman, only to be easily avoided by the solo NetNavi. Lan attempted his assault once more time, only to once again be easily avoided. Cannonman sure was quick on his feet. This wasn't going to be an easy battle.

"You think that just because I am a Solo NetNavi that I don't have tricks of my own? Allow me to show you one…Mega-Cannon!"

Upon the completion of his words, Cannonman's hands went into the air, and began to glow a bright white light. Lan and Megaman looked in awe at the sight. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. Those moves and light can only mean one thing…

"No way...that light and energy…it's from…" Lan was cut off by Megaman.  
"A Program Advance!"  
"But…how can a Solo NetNavi be able to perform a Program Advance?"  
"Don't think it too much, Lan Hikari. Or else, you might get hit…Zeta-Cannon…FIRE!"

Cannonman lowered his arms to chest level and aimed the Zeta-Cannon and Lan. Upon his aiming being complete, he fired the weapon. Lan, still taken aback by a Solo NetNavi being able to use a Program Advance, nearly froze in place…that is, until Megaman snapped him out of it.

"Lan! Move!"

Lan heard Megaman's voice and snapped out of his trance. However, it was too late, He dodged the majority of the blast, but some of it struck the emblem on his chest. For a regular attack, this wouldn't have been a problem. However, it wasn't a regular attack. This was the Zeta-Cannon Program Advance. The impact from the attack pierced the emblem, released the PET's energy, and, to Lan and Megaman's dismay and horror…canceled CrossFusion for them.

"Hahahaha! Now, you are NOTHING compared to me! I can use the data from the Cannon, Hi-Cannon, and Mega-Cannon BattleChips at will! I can control their Program Advances as well. You have no hope of surviving this encounter!

Lan struggled to recover from the rapid lose of CrossFusion. He had fallen to the ground from the blast, and was having a difficult time trying to stand up. Lan instinctively looked around his immediate area to locate his PET. He spotted the device a few feet away from him. However, to Lan's surprise and shock, Cannonman was standing in front of the device.

"Now…to make sure you don't interfere with our plans in the human world again...!"

"NOOO! MEGAMAAAAAAAAN!"

Just as Cannonman's foot fell to the ground, a BattleChip came flying from out of nowhere and knocked Lan's PET out from under Cannonman's foot. Megaman was saved, thanks to the stray BattleChip. However, Lan's SynchroChip was ejected from the PET…and still remained under Cannonman's foot as it came down.

_-CRACK-_

The sound made Lan shiver down to his core. The one thing that brought him and Megaman a close as possible to each other…was just destroyed. Lan was still in shock from losing CrossFusion, this was just too much. He quickly shut his eyes and tried to imagine that he didn't just hear the sound he thought he heard. However, he knew deep down inside that it was as real as ever.

"I had to say this to Flashman. I will say it to you, as well. NEVER mess with a NetSaver's PET," Chaud's voice exclaimed, talking to Cannonman. Cannonman simply laughed at the sight of Chaud in the room.

"My, my. Aren't we the brave one? Well, no matter. I was able to complete one of my objectives here. With Lan Hikari's SynchroChip out of the way, there is no way he can CrossFuse with Megaman. That brings the UnderNet Mafia one step closer to achieving world domination," Cannonman said, showing both amusement and victory in his voice.

'He's right,' Chaud thought. 'With Protoman out of commission, and Lan not being able to CrossFuse, how are we going to stand up them? It would be too much for Raika to handle and…' Chaud's thoughts were cut short as he heard these chilling words come from Cannonman.

"You're Chaud Blaze, aren't you? You are my other objective. With both of Japan's top NetSavers out of the way, nothing will stand in our way. NOTHING! Cannon, Triple Upload! Giga-Cannon, FIRE!"

Chaud ducked out of the way, and managed to pull Lan into the back corridor for cover. Lan was still in shock at everything that has happened. He had never been beaten like this before.

"Lan! Lan! Snap out of it, Hikari!" Chaud's voice brought Lan back to his senses. He had been zoned out for about 2 minutes now, and they were now hiding in the Observation Deck.

"Uhhh…Chaud? Is that you?"  
"Lan. Good, you came to. We have a problem. You're SynchroChip was crushed, and Protoman and I cannot battle. He is still in recovery."  
"What do you think we should do?"  
"Honestly, I don't know. This is such a tough bind for us that we…"

Chaud was then interrupted by Megaman, who still seemed to be functioning properly. He appeared on Lan's shoulder, like he normally would, and started to speak to the two boys in the room.

"I have an idea. However, it is extremely dangerous…especially for me."  
"Megaman? What are you talking about?"  
"Lan…I think he means the M-Program"  
"What? No way, Megaman! Out of the question!"  
"Lan! It may be our only way out of this. If we just install the M-Program into me, then we might…"  
"Forget it! I don't want to risk you being deleted just so that there MIGHT be a chance at saving us. Something will happen."  
"Lan! Enough already! If we don't install that program into me, then all will be lost!"

Once again, Lan knew that Megaman was right. But…it just didn't feel right. He didn't want to put Megaman in any kind of danger. Trying to install the M-Program into Megaman would put him at such great risk for deletion…Lan didn't want to even think about it. However, he knew that until something happened, they would have nothing to lose.

"…Alright, Megaman. I hope you know what you are doing."  
"Trust me, Lan. Have a little faith." Megaman smiled at Lan with this comment, and Lan returned the smile.  
"Well, you have a point, Megaman. Alright, Chaud. Let's get that Program!"  
"About time you decided." Chaud gave Lan a small grin.  
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence."

Lan and Chaud found a large object in the Observation Deck and were able to break the window between the Observation Deck and Experiment Room. They climbed down from the window sill and tried to get things ready.

"So…umm…what do we turn on?"  
"Lucky for you, I was paying attention when Protoman's experiment started."  
"Geez…you don't have to rub it in my face."  
"Turn on those two consoles, I'll get these two…flip a switch here…"

After Lan and Chaud turned on all of the necessary equipment, they could see on the consoles that the M-Program was ready to be uploaded into a NetNavi's program. There were also instructions on one of the panels for Lan to follow, such as which place to Jack-in, what he should do while the installation is taking place, etc.

"hmmm…Megaman…are you sure you want to do this? You really don't have to…"  
"I'm sure, Lan. I want to be able to protect everyone. Without CrossFusion, this is the only other way."  
"Alright…I guess this is it, then…Jack-in, Megaman. Power up!"

Lan aimed the infer-red iris of his PET towards the port in which Megaman was to be jacked-in. Almost immediately after he was jacked-in, a hologram of him appeared in the Navi Capsule next to the console. Megaman looked out from the capsule, looking directly into Lan's eyes. Lan could see that Megaman really wanted to go to any length to save the people he cared for. After their eyes broke away from each other, Megaman gave Lan a positive nod, and, in turn, Lan gave the go ahead for Chaud to start up.

"Megaman…if at anytime you feel strange, say something. We don't want a repeat of what happened to Protoman," Chaud said, in a rather commanding voice.

"Alright. Let's just hope this works," Megaman replied, giving Chaud an acknowledging nod.

"Ok, then. Here we go. Beginning M-Program installation."

Chaud watched his monitor, making sure that the installation of the M-Program worked. Lan kept his eyes on Megaman's image. He still wasn't sure about this whole situation. He didn't want Megaman to get the program; not because he didn't want to see Megaman in person, but because the process of getting it installed was just too dangerous. He watched his screen intently, which was also monitoring the progress of the upload.

Several more explosions could be heard from down the hallway. The doors to the Experiment Room were all closed and locked from the inside; a precaution that Chaud deemed necessary. But, the doors would not hold for long. They just had to hope that the M-Program installation would not take too much longer.

"Come on, come on! Work faster!" Lan's excessive impatience was starting to get the best of him. With Cannonman behind them, maybe even right behind one of the locked doors, he knew that unless the installation didn't get finished soon, they all would be finished.

"You can't rush this, Lan. It needs time to fully install and re-configure the NetNavi's data to be allowed entry into the human world," Chaud stated, with a hint of anger in his tone. He wasn't much for Lan's impatience, and it often got the best of Lan.

Another explosion occurred. This time, it was much closer than the last. Cannonman was getting closer and closer to the Experiment Room. If the install didn't finish soon…

"Ahhhh!" Megaman screamed in pain. Lan's attention was ripped from the computer screen and focused upon the NetNavi's holographic image.

"Megaman! What's wrong," Lan demanded. He didn't want it to sound like a command, but it came out just like one.

"I'm….fine…keep going…" Megaman's words were starting to stutter.  
"Lan! We have to stop now. Megaman's data is starting to break up!"  
"What? No! Megaman! Jack-out!"  
"No, wait, Lan! Don't do it just yet…a little longer…"

Megaman tried not to sound in pain, but it was too unbearable for him to not sound like it. Another scream escaped from his mouth. Lan was becoming more and more terrified by the second. He was watching his best friend being deleted, right in front of his eyes. He couldn't take it any longer. He had to save Megaman!

"Forget it, Megaman! I'm jacking you out right now!  
"No, Lan! Please don't! Just a little longer!"  
"Out of the question! You can't keep this up!"  
"Lan…listen to me…I just want you to…believe that I…will be ok. Just believe…that I will be there…to protect you and…Chaud. That's all I ask…of you. Just…believe…"

With those final words, Megaman's hologram in the NetNavi Capsule exploded into pixilated boxes, and left Lan's line of sight. Tears started to form under Lan's eyes. He couldn't believe it…Megaman was…actually…deleted?

One more explosion occurred. However, this time, it was one of the Experiment Room doors that exploded. Chaud grabbed Lan by the arm and dragged him to the other side of the room. When the smoke created by the explosion cleared, none-other-than Cannonman was standing in the middle of it.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. It must be my lucky day. BOTH NetSavers in the same room, and close together. I think one Mega-Cannon shot will finish this job!" Cannonman laughed as he finished his remark. He then raised his left arm, and a Mega-Cannon appeared on it, already aimed and ready to fire.

"This is the end for you, Lan Hikari and Chaud Blaze. Mega-Cannon…FIR…" Cannonman's command was cut short when a ball of purple energy crashed into the Mega-Cannon on his hand. Several other balls of purple energy came down upon Cannonman. This left him a bit disoriented, and caused quite a large amount of smoke to be created from the impacts.

"What? Who did that? Show yourself!"  
"You don't know who it was? Well, then. Allow me to introduce myself."

From above Lan and Chaud, who were against the wall to the Observation Deck, came an entity that was extremely quick on its feet. Because of the explosions around SciLab, the majority of the lights were not working. This made it hard to see who it was at first. As the smoke cleared, and more light was able to shine through, the mysterious person who saved Lan and Chaud was revealed.

"My name…is Megaman! And you, Cannonman, are going down!"  
"Megaman! You're…ok!"

Lan couldn't hide his happiness. In fact, there were not enough words to describe how he was feeling right now. They were so many emotions running through him right now that he didn't know how to feel. He was still in a devastated state-of-mind after seeing what appeared to be Megaman getting deleted, but also full of happiness and joy to see his best friend standing in front of him, not to mention saving him from a Mega-Cannon attack.

"Lan, Chaud. Get out of here. You don't want to be in the line of fire."  
"He's right, Lan. We have to get to another part of the building."  
"What? No way. I have to stay here and help Megaman."  
"Lan…this isn't up for discussion. Go, NOW."

Lan could now add shocked to those list of feelings. He had never heard Megaman give him an ORDER before. That was a first. Before, Megaman would ask or beg Lan to do something. But, this time…this time was completely different. But, he knew he had to stay, no matter how much Megaman asked…or commanded…him to leave.

"No! You need BattleChips to fight this guy, and I am the only one who can supply them."  
"Lan…"  
"Megaman…I believed in you…that you would come back…I just want you to return the favor and believe in me…believe that you NEED me for this battle."

Megaman couldn't argue that point. He simply looked at Lan and nodded his head.

"Aww…isn't that sweet? A touching moment between friends. It's enough to make me want to puke." Cannonman laughed hard after his comment, but still aimed the Mega-Cannon at Megaman. "Time to become one with the Net, Megaman. Mega-Cannon, FIRE!"

A blast came from the Mega-Cannon. It was extremely fast and accurate, but Megaman was able to dodge it, but barely.

"We are ending this now, Megaman! Program Advance! Spreader, BattleChip in. Triple Download!"  
"You aren't the only ones. Cannon, Hi-Cannon, Mega-Cannon. Upload! Program Advance! Zeta-Cannon!"

Both Megaman and Cannonman began to charge up their respective Program Advances. The room was instantly illuminated by the light that the programs were giving off. Chaud was still inside the room, but knew that it was time for him to leave, lest he get caught in the crossfire between the Program Advances. However, he had to do one more thing…

"HyperBurst, FIRE!"  
"Zeta-Cannon, FIRE!"

Both Megaman and Cannonman fired their Program Advances, impacting between them, causing the energy to start building up exponentially inside the room. The orange of the Zeta-Cannon and the blue of the Hyper Burst mixed in with each other as they impacted, swirling around as the energy continued to build up. Chaud ran to one of the terminals and starting punching in a few data commands. Lan took notice of this.

"Chaud! What are you doing? You have to get out of here!"  
"Not yet! I have to backup and save the M-Program data. We can't let your father's work just be destroyed!"

Chaud was right. All this protecting would have been in vein if the program wasn't salvaged. A few moments later, Chaud backed up the program data on a Data Chip. He then ran out another door and left Lan and Megaman to battle Cannonman.

"Hahahaha! You won't survive this attack! You are finished, Megaman!"  
"You don't get it, do you? I will never be finished as long as I have Lan to fight with me. Something you will NEVER understand!"

With those words, Megaman's Hyper Burst started to gain a foothold on the battle. Cannonman could not believe what was going on. "Nooo! This can't be happening! I am SUPERIOR to you! SUPERI…" his last word was cut off as the Hyper Burst made contact with him, causing enough damage to destroy the Copyroid.

With the battle won, Lan ran up to Megaman and threw himself onto him, in a tight, friendly hug. Megaman, who was sweating from his head and armpits, accepted the hug, holding onto Lan tightly.

"Megaman…I thought I almost lost you. I am glad you are back."  
"Me too, Lan. I hope that never happens again."  
"Do you want to return to your PET?"

Megaman shook his head and smiled. "Nah. I'll stay here with you."


	6. Chapter 6: A Soothing Night

**_It's the chapter you have all been waiting for! Lan and Megaman finally have their first romantic moment with each other! To state it again, this is the first yaoi lemon I have ever written. Please Read and Review so I can get an idea of how to do the next one!_**

**_Enjoy!_**

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Chapter 6 – A Soothing Night

Lan and Megaman walked in the front door of Lan's house. Wow! What a day they had: the PET getting repaired, fighting off Cannonman, and Megaman successfully getting the M-Program. This was certainly a day to remember. There was nothing that could have made this day more memorable…well, almost nothing.

"Welcome home, Lan!" Mrs. Hikari's voice was just a tender and soft as ever. She was in the kitchen, like always, making some kind of food for her son to eat when he got home. She saw Lan as he came in, but was taken aback a little at the appearance of someone who liked Megaman. A confused look came across her face.

"Lan? Who is your new friend?"  
"Huh? You don't recognize him, Mom?"  
"He kind of looks like Megaman."  
"That's because it is Megaman."

Mrs. Hikari's confused look persisted, until the information finally sank in. Once she processed it, her confused looked return to that of her usual smile and demeanor, although, there was a little bit of excitement this time. "Wow! It looks like your dad's program worked!"

Both Lan and Megaman fell to the floor. His mom's comment could only mean one thing: Dad had told Mom about the project, but not him or Megaman. It took them a few moments, but they were able to get up off the floor and stand back up.

"Dad told you about his project, but not us?" Lan and Megaman's voices sounded off in unison.

"Well…he did say something about you two not being able to keep a secret, but I thought nothing of it!" Mrs. Hikari just smiled at the comment. Lan and Megaman both fell over to this comment as well. Now, their bodies were starting to hurt. It wasn't enough that they had to deal with a copyroid at SciLab, nooo…They had to come home and deal with physical injuries due to more shock.

"In any case, dinner is ready. So, come on over here and eat something, boys," Mrs. Hikari said, putting the food on the table. Lan, who hadn't eaten anything substantial all day, rushed over to the table, the drool from his mouth could be seen a mile away. Megaman, however, seemed very reluctant to move towards the table. Lan took note of this and said something before stuffing his mouth full of food.

"Are you coming, Megaman?"  
"Well, Lan…I am still a NetNavi. I'm not sure if I can even eat food or drink anything."  
"Don't be silly, Megaman. Come on over and enjoy some good home cooking," Mrs. Hikari commented, walking to Megaman and nearly pulling his arm off his body to get him to come to the table.  
"But, Mrs. Hikari…" Megaman was cut off.  
"Now, Megaman. You know better than to call me Mrs. Hikari. You are part of this family, after all. You know you should call me Mom."

Megaman couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed at the comment, and he cheeks flushed with a slight hint of red in them. He silently nodded his head and took a seat across from Lan at the table. Mrs. Hikari sat at the head and they started passing around the foot and filling their plates.

The aroma of the food filled Megaman's nostrils. He actually liked the smell of the food. Mrs. Hikari had prepared some of Lan's favorite foods: Curry Rice, Smoked Salmon, 2 different kinds of salads, and Onigiri (Rice balls) for dessert. Megaman looked at all of the food in front of him and on his plate. He still wasn't 100 percent sure as to how this M-Program worked. He wasn't sure if it made him completely into a human when he was materialized, or if it was something else.

"Megaman, are you going to eat anything? You look kind of sad." Mrs. Hikari's voice had a hint of worry in it.  
"Oh…mom…I'm not sure if this whole program will actually let me eat food."  
"Well, there is only one way to find out."  
"You're probably right."  
"Try the curry rice, Megaman! It's awesome!" Lan interrupted Megaman and Mrs. Hikari's conversation.

Megaman snickered quietly to himself, nodded to Lan and Mrs. Hikari, took a spoonful of the Curry Rice, and put it in his mouth. It was absolutely delicious! However, his point of view might have been a little bias, seeing as this was the first thing he had ever tasted. That is…until the spices kicked in. Megaman felt like his mouth was going to light on fire. He quickly grabbed the glass of water in front of him and downed the clear liquid until the feeling inside his mouth calmed down. Lan and his mom couldn't help but laugh at the site. This made Megaman's face flush again with an even brighter color of red.

"Ha-ha. Well, Megaman. It looks like Curry isn't going to be in your diet," Lan said, still trying not to laugh very hard and upset his friend. "Maybe you should stick to the salads, salmon, and Onigiri."

Megaman, still trying to recover from the spice of the Curry, looked at Lan with a smile on his face, nodded, and picked up the chopsticks in front of him. He then took the bowl with salad in it that he had taken and started to eat the green edibles. They tasted even better than the Curry Rice!

"Mmmmm! This is delicious!" Megaman didn't hold back any excitement.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"_Now Lan, Megaman. You need to remember something. You guys were the first successful test of the M-Program. However, we still don't know what consequences may __be in store for you. While we repair SciLab through the night, you two should go on home and rest. But, I want you two back here first thing in the morning so you can drop off Megaman. Just to be on the safe side, we should analyze his program to make sure everything else is working right."_

"_Dad, when we were installing the M-Program, I literally saw Megaman get deleted from the Navi Capsule. How did he come back?"_

"_I think that he wasn't really deleted at all. I have a theory that the M-Program, instead of just being another component for a NetNavi, actually had to quickly re-code Megaman's data so that he could enter the human world. What appeared to be him being "deleted" might have been the program simply re-coding his data so that it could fully function. Come to think of it, the same thing may have happened to Protoman. We will have to do more research on it to make sure."_

"_Will there be any…side effects now that Megaman has the program installed in him?"_

"_I don't think so. It may have simply re-coded his data in a reverse engineering manner."_

"_Reverse Engineering?"_

"_It's a process where a person or program takes apart something to analyze how it works. They do this in hopes that they can create something better than what they took apart, but work in almost the exact same fashion."_

"_Oh...I see."_

"_Don't worry about it too much, Lan. I'm sure Megaman will be fine."_

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Lan was thinking about what his dad had told him after they defeated Cannonman. 'He said Megaman would be fine. I guess I shouldn't worry. Dad is always right about these things.' But, Lan did worry. He knew that his dad was right, but something inside him told them that he should still worry.

"Well, Lan. Tomorrow is a school-day. You better go on upstairs and get ready for bed," Mrs. Hikari told Lan, who instinctively obeyed and went up the stairs. Megaman followed him, like he was still inside his PET and went wherever Lan went. They both proceeded to Lan's room where Megaman sat at Lan's desk, while Lan sat on his bed. Both of their eyes were locked on each other.

"That was some day we had, wasn't it, Lan?"  
"Yeah. But now…I'm worried about this UnderNet Mafia Cannonman mentioned."  
"Don't worry too much about it, Lan. As long as we stay on our toes, we can beat them."  
"You're right, Megaman."

They both exchanged smiles as Lan went to his dresser drawers and gathered up a pair of pajamas. However, as he walked by Megaman, he noticed a certain odor in the air. He remembered that Megaman had been sweating a lot after his Program Advance battle with Cannonman. 'He must have pushed hard to win that battle,' Lan thought. With that thought now out of his mind, he looked at Megaman and laughed a little bit.

"What's so funny, Lan?"  
"Hehe. It "smells" like we both need to shower. Hehe."

Megaman's cheeks, for the third time in just the past hour, flushed red. He was a little embarrassed because he could even catch the scent of the sweat that had covered his forehead and armpits, now dry, which made the smell worse.

"I'll let you go first, seeing that I think you need it more than me." Lan couldn't help himself. He started to laugh at the thought. Megaman, however, was not amused by the situation.

"This isn't funny, Lan!"  
"Hehe, sorry Megaman. But, it would be better if you went first."  
"How so?"  
"Well, it will give me time to find something for you to wear while your jumpsuit is washed…well…if your armor even comes off."  
"That's right. We don't know if it comes off. You may just have to deal with it."  
"Well, there is one way to find out."  
"Lan…what are you thi…"

Megaman's words were cut short as Lan grabbed a hold of Megaman's right boot and started to tug on it. Megaman was very surprised at what Lan was doing. However, he had to admit to himself that he, too, was curious to see if there was actual skin under all his armor, or if it was just data. Taking his curiosity into account, Megaman relaxed his foot and allowed Lan to remove the boot. It came off relatively easy, and revealed that Megaman's jumpsuit covered his feet.

"Well, that worked. Maybe we should try a glove?"  
"Lan…I guess so…"

Lan, who was on his knees while trying to remove Megaman's boot, got up on his feet and started to take off Megaman's left glove. Megaman's curiosity grew even more, seeing as he still couldn't see if there was an actual body underneath his armor or not. He relaxed his hand, and the glove slid off…revealing the jumpsuit coming up to only his wrist, and a hand covered in skin.

The two boys looked at the newly exposed hand. They were still in a bit of disbelief that Megaman was right there, in the human world, with a body. It took both of them a few moments to process the information before they snapped out of it.

"Well, Lan. I guess since I have a hand with skin, the rest of me is probably the same," Megaman said with a smile, knowing that one of his dreams was coming true.

While he was confined in his PET, Megaman had always dreamed of being in the human world. He wanted to be able to see the same world that Lan saw. He wanted to be able to share in the same experiences that Lan did. He wanted to taste the food Lan was so obsessed with, though that one turned out not to be the best. All of his dreams were coming true, right before his very eyes. But, there was still one dream he had that still wanted to be fulfilled…

"Alright. I'll go to the shower first."  
"Cool. I'll have something for you to wear when you come out. We are the same height, so it shouldn't be a problem."  
"Ok, Lan."

With that, Megaman left Lan's bedroom and walked down the hall and into the Bathroom. Lan sat on his bed, waiting for his turn to cleanse himself before going to sleep. He couldn't help but still think about what Cannonman had said. 'The UnderNet Mafia…are they the next biggest threat to the world? How are we supposed to fight them? How am _**I**_ supposed to fight them? I can't CrossFuse now. And, just being around to give Megaman BattleChips is gonna make me feel like some mobile BattleChip Gate.' Lan was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Megaman call him from the bathroom.

Lan walked out of his room and knocked on the bathroom door. "You ok, Megaman? I heard you call me."

"Can you…come in here for a minute, Lan?"  
"Is everything ok, Megaman?"  
"Well…not really."

Lan walked inside to see Megaman had taken off his boots, gloves, helmet, shoulder pads, backpack, and chest emblem. He was in nothing but his jumpsuit. Megaman's blue hair was matted against his head, save for his bangs on the front and what normally came out from his helmet in back. His green eyes found Lan's brown eyes and they instantly locked on each other. Lan looked at Megaman, and had to admit to himself that he looked a little cute like that.

"What's the problem?"  
"Well…I've never taken a shower before." Megaman's face began to flush bright red. He was about to explode in embarrassment. "I really don't want to ask you this, but can you…show me how?"

Now, Lan's face started to flush a bright red. He had never been naked in front of Megaman before. Now, Megaman wants him to SHOW him how to take a shower? Couldn't he just tell him? Well…Megaman was his best friend. 'I guess it couldn't hurt to do him this one favor.'

"Sure…I guess."

Megaman gave Lan a thank you nod, and started to strip himself of his jumpsuit. Lan turned around and began to unzip his orange vest, take off his shoes and socks, remove his shirt, and unbutton his shorts. It was only a minute after their conversation that both of them stood before each other, completely naked. Both of the boys' cheeks were still flushed with a bright red embarrassment.

But, they both pressed on, as Lan showed Megaman how to draw water for the shower. Megaman watched to make sure he committed this to memory, seeing that he would be able to come back to the human world whenever he wanted. Lan then tested the temperature of the water, making sure it wasn't too hot or too cold. He gave Megaman a smile to let him know the water was just right, and they both stepped inside.

"Wow. This is such a great feeling. I've never felt actual water before," Megaman exclaimed. He was noting how every drop of the warm water felt when it impacted his skin. And, he agreed with Lan. It didn't make him feel hot, but it didn't make him shiver in cold. It was just right.

"Yeah. A good water temperature feels great after a hard day's work." Lan was standing behind Megaman, letting him get the most water, as he gave Megaman verbal instructions on how to start.

"First, wet your hair so that when you use the shampoo, you will get a lot of suds. That way, it will really clean your hair." Lan gently moved Megaman's head under the shower faucet, making sure that his hair got wet enough for the shampoo to work. Lan then took a small amount of shampoo and started to rub it in Megaman's hair. His hair wasn't as tangled as Lan thought. Megaman then lifted his own hands and imitated the same motions Lan was doing, working the shampoo into his hair and scalp.

"Ok, while you let it soak in, take the soap bar and rub it around the parts of your body that the water is hitting. That will clean your skin." Lan grabbed the bar of soap from it's holder on the side of the shower and started to rub it against Megaman's skin, making sure he cleaned. Megaman was still in awe with all of the sensations he was feeling. However, he pulled his mind together and grabbed a hold of the hand Lan was holding the soap in, imitating the same motions.

Both Lan and Megaman's insecurities about being naked in front of the other were starting to diminish. 'This isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I guess I was just being silly," Lan thought, until…

Both of their faces flushed red again as the hand with the soap in it brushed against Megaman's member. Lan was embarrassed that he touched that area, and Megaman was embarrassed that he didn't pay attention as to where he was rubbing the soap.

They stood in the running water in silence. However, it was Megaman who broke that silence.

"I guess I figured out how to do this. If you want to leave, Lan, you can."  
"Sure…ok. Here, take the soap."

Megaman grabbed the soap bar out of Lan's hand as Lan stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. Megaman continued to move the bar of soap around his body until he felt it was adequately clean. He then washed the shampoo out of his hair, making sure all of it was washed out. He stepped out, grabbed a tower, and saw Lan sitting on the floor, looking away from the shower. Both of them were a little embarrassed at what happened. Once again, Megaman broke the silence.

"Alright, Lan. It's all yours."

Lan turned around to see Megaman wrapped in a towel, but still dripping from the water.

"Ok, Megaman. Oh, I found you some clothes. I left them on my desk chair."  
"Thanks, Lan."

Megaman left the bathroom and proceeded to Lan's room. He found the clothing folded neatly on the chair. He figured that mom must have folded those clothes, as Lan was no good at it. He snickered at the thought.

The pile contained white boxers, blue jeans with an elastic waistband, and a green t-shirt. Megaman took notice that the green of the shirt matched the color of his eyes. He undid the towel and fully dried himself, then placed the boxers on first, followed by the pants and then the shirt.

It was a few minutes later when Lan walked through the door, still dripping from the shower, and wrapped in a towel as well. He looked at his now dressed NetNavi in the chair in front of him. He thought that the clothes suited Megaman well. They fit just right.

Their eyes locked on each other again. However, this time, it was Lan who broke the awkward silence.

"Ummm…Megaman? Would you mind…"  
"Oh, sure Lan." Megaman already knew what Lan was going to say.

The little incident in the shower had restored their insecurities about being naked in front of the other. Megaman turned the chair around and faced the window, while Lan dried himself and dressed in his pajamas. He gave Megaman a tap on the shoulder to let him know that it was ok to look. Lan went to sit on the bed, and Megaman soon joined him. As soon as Megaman sat down, he felt a warm embrace from Lan as he was hugged by the boy. He returned the hug as they sat side by side.

"You know, Megaman…I was so worried when I saw your hologram just break up like it is. I thought I lost you."  
"Don't worry, Lan. I'm right here, and everything is fine."  
"I know but…the UnderNet Mafia is worrying me now."  
"We can beat them, Lan. I mean…we beat World Three, Grave, Nebula, Neo World Three, and pushed back the Zoanoroids. We can handle what the UnderNet Mafia can throw at is."  
"You're right, Megaman."

A soft, but somewhat commanding voice was heard from downstairs. "Lan, make sure you go to sleep soon. You don't want to be late for school in the morning."

Lan got up from the bed and opened the door, which he had closed upon entry after his shower, and yelled back down. "Ok, Mom. Good night." Lan then closed the door again, and proceeded to turn the lights off, leaving nothing but the light from outside to shine in from the window. He returned to his spot next to Megaman on the bed, tilting his head towards the ceiling in what looked like a thoughtful position.

"This is nice."  
"Lan?"  
"I mean this situation. You being able to move from the Cyberworld to the human world. It's just so unbelievable. I feel like this is all a dream and I am about to wake up from it."  
"I feel the same way. Just being able to eat food was a wonderful experience."  
"Yeah…"

Lan kept looking up at the ceiling, while Megaman tilted his head down and looked towards his lap. "You know…I have actually dreamed about all this…and there is still one thing I want to do."

Lan heard Megaman's words and was a little confused. "What is that?" As Lan tilted his head down to look at Megaman, he felt a hand go behind his head, gently pulling his head towards Megaman until their lips made contact. Lan couldn't believe what was happening. He was embarrassed when his hand brushed against Megaman's member in the shower, but this really did it in. Luckily, it was too dark in the room for Megaman to see Lan's face blushing profusely.

The moment seemed to last a millennium, and Megaman was enjoying it. He couldn't see Lan's face, as he had closed his eyes and just let his instincts take over. As he opened his eyes, he saw Lan; his eyes closed now, becoming fully absorbed in the kiss.

Lan's eyes finally opened after what seemed to have been hours, but was only 10 seconds. He then broke the kiss to get a breath. His eyes, once again, locked onto Megaman's, and Megaman's onto his. He quickly processed what had happened and figured it out.

"Megaman…I never knew…How long have you had these feelings?"  
"Since the Pharaohman incident. I had liked you as a friend before then, but you coming back to save me after I was deleted…I found a whole new level of adoration for you. And that level, I think…was love."  
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"  
"I guess…I was scared that you didn't feel the same way. I was afraid I might get…shot down."  
"Megaman…I could never shoot you down."  
"Lan…"

Lan could only smile at this comment, and, this time, it was he who pulled Megaman to him and pressed their lips together. However, instead of one hand, Lan wrapped his arms around Megaman's neck.

Megaman sank into the kiss, enjoying every passing second as it dragged on and on. Finally, he broke the kiss to get a small breath of air. Lan only looked at him, still smiling.

"What about you, Lan? How long have you waited?"  
"Not as long as you. I think around the time we defeat the Grave Virus Beast."  
"Why didn't you tell me, while we are on the subject?"  
"I guess for the same reason as you…I was afraid you didn't feel the same."  
"Hehe. And, like you…I could never turn you down."  
"Megaman…"

Megaman returned the smile, and captured Lan's lips in their third kiss. Both of them became fully absorbed in it. Megaman's tongue licked Lan's lips, trying to gain entry into his mouth. Lan slowly opened up, and let his tongue go to war with Megaman's, both fighting to get into the other's mouth. It ended in a tie, as Megaman slowly lowered himself and Lan to the bed, as he broke the kiss.

"Lan…I don't want to do anything if we are not ready for it."

Lan had a somewhat confused looked on his face, but quickly figured it out.

"After everything we have been through…after hiding our feelings for each other…I think we are ready. I know I am."

Megaman looked at the boy in front of him and smiled, which was all the answer that Lan needed. He then wrapped his arms around Megaman and pulled him close to himself; their bodies almost pressed against the other, and recaptured his lips. Lan lost himself in the kiss, and didn't notice Megaman unbutton his pajama shirt. He finally noticed when he felt Megaman's hands against his bare chest, moving around in circular motions, occasionally running across his nipples.

"Mmmm." Megaman gained a positive moan from Lan, and continued to move his fingers around Lan's chest, feeling every possible spot he could. Suddenly, Megaman noticed Lan's arms moved from around his neck to around his lower back, but still above his waist.

Neither of them had noticed, but their lips were still pressed together. Lan's hand had grasped the bottom of Megaman's shirt, and started to pull it off. Megaman took noticed, and broke the kiss, allowing the shirt to come off entirely. During this small break, Megaman took the opportunity to slip Lan's arms out from the sleeves of his pajama shirt, removing it as well.

"You have no idea who long I have waited to do this, Lan."  
"The same goes for me. I have waited so long…"  
"I can only imagine."

Lan, who had just taken off Megaman's shirt, then wrapped his arms around the Navi again, only this time, he slipped one of his hands into Megaman's pants and past his boxers. He then took his middle finger and thrusted it into the Navi's entrance. This gain a small moan from Megaman, a mix of both slight pain and pleasure. Megaman pressed his lips against Lan's neck, kissing and sucking in certain spots, but making sure not to leave a hicky. Lan then put his index finger into Megaman's entrance, still doing slow thrusting motions.

They tried to stay quiet, as they didn't want to alert Mom downstairs. Megaman moved his hands in between their bodies, just enough room to unbutton Lan's pajama bottoms, as well as loosen his own pants. In one swift movement, he pulled Lan's pajama bottoms and boxers down to the boy's ankles. Lan removed his fingers from inside the Navi and slowly slid the blue jeans and boxers down. In only a moment, both Megaman and Lan were laying on the bed, completely naked.

"Lan…I love you so much…"  
"I love you, too…Megaman"

Lan's hands move from behind Megaman to in front, and grabbed his length, which was now fully erected. Slowly, but with gaining speed, Lan stroked the Navi's member, which produce heavy breathing and intermitted moans that escaped from Megaman's mouth. Lan increased his pace, gaining speed, and making the experience more pleasurable for Megaman.

The Navi's head started to spin. This was his first time, and it was with the person who he loved more than anyone in both worlds. His dream of being able to just kiss Lan was already completed, but this was something more. This was a totally different experience This was…

"Lan!" Megaman cried, louder than he wanted, before a wave of pleasure washed over him, causing the release of his thick and creamy seed onto Lan's hand, with some dripping onto the bed below them. Megaman was left panting for air. Just being able to taste food and kiss someone was one thing, but that was a totally different experience for him.

Lan leaned over and planted another kiss on Megaman's lips, who accepted the invitation and passionately kissed back. Both of their eyes were closed as they got lost in the moment, once again. The kiss was broken by Lan this time, as he started to rub his now fully erected length with his Navi's seed, making it slick.

"Do you think we should try, Megaman?"  
"Yeah…I'm all for it, Lan."

With a nod, Lan moved to the bottom of the bed and pushed Megaman's legs apart and propped them up to fully expose Megaman's entrance. Lan got down on his knees and positioned the tip of his length by the Navi's entrance, ready to go.

"Ready, Megaman?"  
"Go for it, Lan."

With those words, Lan began to slowly thrust into Megaman, going at a very slow pace, as to make sure the body in front of him didn't scream in some kind of pain, thereby alerting his mother. He was almost half-way in when he stopped, giving Megaman time to adjust to the feeling.

"Uhhh…" His face was a mixture of pleasure and pain due to Lan's motions. He was both glad and sad when Lan stopped. He was enjoying the movement, and stopping took that away. However, it was somewhat painful, and Lan stopping made it easier to handle.

The Navi started getting use to the experience, giving Lan a look which expressed silent permission to continue, which he did. He started to move faster and faster in his thrusts, until he would go from all-in to almost all-out. The thrusts were getting faster and faster, almost at a frantic pace.

"Mega…Mega…" Lan's words were muffled by a kiss from the Navi below him. Lan moaned loudly into Megaman's mouth, as he released his seed inside the Navi, and then pulled his now softening member out.

Lan fell to the left side of Megaman, now tired after such an experience, an experience he had never felt before. Megaman was still left panting for air, also having never experienced something like this before.

Megaman could feel sleep starting to creep up on him. He decided earlier that he would stay in the human world for the night, to see how Lan actually slept, and if he could manage it as well. With his breath now caught up, Megaman rolled to his side and faced the window. Only a moment later, he felt Lan's arms wrap around him, and his body pushed up against his back in a cuddling manner.

Both of the boys started drifting off to sleep. Lucky for Lan, when he was sleeping with his door closed, his parents didn't open it to wake him up, as they knew Megaman normally handle that. So, Lan had no worries about them walking in on them in the morning, which would have been extremely embarrassing considering the position he was in with Megaman.

"Hey, Megaman?"  
"Yeah, Lan?"  
"Was I…your first?"  
"Of course. What about me? Was I your first?"  
"Most definitely. Hehe. It looks like I lost it to you, Megaman."  
"And mine belongs to you, Lan."

Lan slowly started to close his eyes, unconscious starting to settle in. "I love you, Megaman."

Megaman felt unconscious upon himself as well. It was hard to stay awake now. His senses were starting to leave him. For Megaman, this must have been what it was like to sleep in the human world. This is what it must have felt like.

He looked straight ahead and closed his eyes, still smiling. "I love you too, Lan."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

**_Wow! That was interesting to type! Well, I can safely say that this is my best work so far, seeing as it is my first one! LOL! Just a reminder: Please, please, PLEASE Read and Review! I want to know what I did right and what I did wrong so I can improve for the next "hanky panky" chapter later down the line!_**


	7. Chapter 7: Maintenance

Chapter 7 – Maintenance

The harsh sunlight broke through the window to the bedroom and shined on the bed. This woke Lan from his sleep. He remembered he had fallen asleep with his arms around Megaman last night. However, when he opened his eye, he found Megaman to not be in the bed with him. He started to gather his thoughts together as he slowly rose from the mattress.

"Megaman? Are you in here?" Lan couldn't see quite well, seeing as he just woke up, and the sun was rather bright today. However, he didn't need his sight to know what happened next. It came as a sudden movement, but Lan quickly figured out that Megaman had stepped in front of him and given him a good morning kiss. Lan, who was still trying to walk up, closed his eyes again to enjoy the contact.

"Good morning, Lan. Did you sleep well?"  
"Good morning, Megaman. Yeah. I slept great."  
"That's good to hear."

Lan's vision finally got use to the brightly illuminated room. He saw Megaman in front of him, fully dressed in the clothing that he wore last night, but this time, he was wearing some socks and an old pair of Lan's shoes. They were not really beat up, but they were "broken in", and they fit Megaman's feet perfectly.

"I see you found yourself some socks and shoes." Lan indicated the new pieces of clothing on Megaman, who just looked at the boy and smiled. He nodded his head and helped Lan out of bed. Lan looked around and grabbed his pajama bottoms and top, which were discarded to the side of the bed, and re-dressed himself.

"Oh, Lan. Your dad called this morning. Mom picked it up, and they said they are ready to analyze my data when we go down the SciLab."  
"Oh, that's good news. Wait, you were downstairs already?"  
"Yeah. Your mom made a really delicious breakfast."  
"Did she…" Megaman interrupted Lan, knowing what he was thinking.  
"No. She didn't hear anything last night. When she asked where I slept, I said on the floor with another blanket."

Lan smiled at Megaman. Lan was never good at lying. Everyone and their brother knew that. However, Megaman seemed to be good at it, since it seemed his mom didn't suspect anything happened. Lan leaned over to Megaman and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before going downstairs to eat.

"Good morning, Lan. I take it Megaman let you know about your father's call?"  
"Morning, mom. Yeah. He told me what dad said."  
"My, my. That Megaman. He came down and had breakfast. It was almost impossible for me to get him away from the table."  
"Why is that, mom?"  
"Well, he seemed to like the food so much, he looked like he was going to eat until he exploded. Oh, but, what can a woman do but make great food."  
"You got that right."  
"Here, Lan. There are still some waffles and syrup left. Help yourself."

Lan was happy to get rid of the food for his mother. Aside from sleeping and NetBattling, eating was Lan's favorite thing to do. He grabbed a small plate from a cabinet and put 3 waffles on it, then drenched the pastries in the rich syrup. It was strawberry-flavored syrup, one of Lan's favorites. Mrs. Hikari smiled at her son and then moved to the sink to wash the dishes that held Megaman's breakfast. Lan ate his breakfast with delight, making sure to grab a glass of milk from the refrigerator. The syrup was indeed rich, and the milk would help to wash it down after he ate.

It was only a few minutes later as Megaman came down the stairs to the living room. Lan had just finished his breakfast, and joined Megaman in the living room, both sitting down on the couch in front of the TV. The TV was on, as it normally was in the morning. Mrs. Hikari liked to listen to the morning news to see if anything interesting was going on.

"Lan. You better get ready. Your father wanted you and Megaman at SciLab as soon as you woke up." Mrs. Hikari's voice wasn't very commanding, but it was commanding enough to get Lan off the couch and walk up stairs to get dressed.

"Alright, mom. I'll be down in a minute," Lan called down the stairs as he entered his bedroom. Megaman waited in the living room for Lan to return. He didn't want to raise any suspicion. If he followed Lan upstairs when Lan was only going to get dressed, it might have not been the best thing to do. So, he decided he would simply wait for the boy to return. 'I wonder what they are going to do to me. They probably can't analyze my data while I am outside the PET. I guess I'll have to go back into it.' Megaman's thoughts didn't worry him. He was just curious as to how this would all turn out.

"Ready to go, Megaman?" Lan's voice brought Megaman out of his thoughts and back to reality. He looked at the boy, and smiled. "Yeah, Lan. I'm ready to go."

Lan started to walk for the front door, and Megaman was confused. He figured Lan was asking him to return to his PET.

"Lan? Aren't I going to go back into the PET?"  
"Huh? Why would you want to?"  
"Well…it is probably the only way your dad and the scientists at SciLab will be able to analyze my data."  
"That doesn't mean that you have to return right now."  
"Lan?"  
"I mean…wouldn't it be a great experience for you to actually see Maylu, Dex, Yai, and Tory in person?"

Megaman had to admit, only seeing them through a video feed from the cameras mounted on a PET was ok, but seeing them in person would have been something else. So, Megaman simply nodded his head, stood up, and followed Lan out the front door.

"You two be careful, now. Don't get into any trouble, and don't cause your father any trouble," Mrs. Hikari called out from the front door, as the two boys started walking in the direction of SciLab. Lan and Megaman heard the comment, but didn't blush at it. They were too busy thinking about getting to SciLab first before anything else came mind. Well…getting to SciLab and showing Megaman off to Lan's friends.

"Hey, Lan! Wait up!" A voice called out from behind Lan and Megaman. They both turned around to see Maylu, Yai, Dex, and Tory running in an attempt to catch up wit the duo.

"Hey, guys! How's it going," Lan called to the group, still trying to catch up to him and Megaman.

"Hey, Lan. Who's the new guy? Someone you know," Dex asked, not aware of whom he was really taking about.

"Yeah, Lan. Who is he," Yai also inquired.  
"Is it a new student," Maylu added.  
"We all want to know, Lan," Tory concluded.

Lan and Megaman both looked at each other, exchanged confused looks, and burst out into a laughing fit. They found it amusing that their friends didn't remember what happened the day before. Well, then again, neither Lan nor Megaman told them anything about it. They were actually surprised that Chaud didn't say anything to them. Needless to say, the 4 other children standing there were not entirely amused.

"You guys. You don't recognize him?" All four of the children now had confused expressions on their faces. "It's Megaman." Lan's friends were, for lack of a better word, perplexed. They all knew that NetNavis could not be in the real world without a copyroid or Dimensional Area. But, if this was Megaman, then…

And, it finally hit them all at the same time. Additionally, they all said, in unison, "THE M-PROGRAM WORKED?" Now, the expressions on their faces went from perplexed and confused to shocked and surprised. They remembered Dr. Hikari saying that the M-Program was years away from fully functioning. So…how were Lan and Megaman able to get it to work?

"You got that right! When that NetNavi attacked SciLab yesterday, we took a huge chance and installed the M-Program into Megaman. It worked liked a charm!"  
"Lan, you know that isn't true. You thought the program deleted me, at first."  
"Hey, it was a scary scene!"

Megaman chuckled to himself. This was starting to get amusing for him. He didn't remember much about what happened after the M-Program was installed. The last thing he remembered was telling Lan to believe in him. This scene started to play out on his head, as he became absorbed in his thoughts about the event. However, he was pulled out of his current train of thought when several hands starting touching various parts of his body. He looked around and saw that Maylu, Dex, Tory, and Yai were all trying to touch him.

Maylu was poking his left arm, while Yai was poking his right arm. Tory and Dex were both poking at his face. All of them were trying to see if the NetNavi standing in front of them was 'in the flesh' or some kind of solid hologram, similar to Rush. Megaman started to blush slightly with all of the attention he was getting.

"Lan…are you sure that Megaman isn't some kind of solid hologram like Rush," Maylu asked, her expression showing to be more inquisitive than shocked.

"Well, if it helps with the explanation, I did come into contact with water last night, and my body wasn't disrupted like if Rush came into contact with water," Megaman stated. He was referring to taking the shower with Lan the night before. He was literally drenched from the shower, and his body did not get disrupted in anyway, proving that he wasn't just a solid hologram, but actually a human body.

"Anyway, I need to get Megaman to SciLab. They need to run some tests on him to make sure he is working properly," Lan stated, starting to turn around and walk down in the direction of SciLab.

"Will you be going to school after that?" Yai's comment was filled with curiosity. Dex, Tory, and Maylu all nodded in agreement with Yai.

"Yeah, I'll be there. I'm just dropping Megaman and my PET off." Lan didn't realize it at first, but now that Megaman was outside the PET, he started to refer to them as separate entities. Before, he would just say he was dropping Megaman off somewhere, and it would mean Megaman and the PET he was in. However, now that Megaman could actually leave his PET and enter the real world, he started to see them as completely separate things. "I'll see you guys there!"

Lan and Megaman watched as their friends starting walking in the opposite direction. When they disappeared around a corner, the NetOp and NetNavi continued on their way to SciLab. 'It shouldn't take us long to get there. Hopefully, we won't be late.' Lan's thoughts, one again, turned to the current situation. Megaman looked at his friend's face, and noticed that he was thinking about something. Megaman had to admit, he was curious as to what Lan was thinking about.

"Lan, what are you thinking about?"  
"Huh? Oh…nothing really."  
"You sure about that? You look a little worried."  
"Well…I was thinking about something. But, I don't think it's important."  
"Lan, whenever you say that, it always turns out to be very important."  
"…"

Lan knew that he did that quite often. Something would happen, and he would brush it off as nothing important. However, it always ended up being something that needed to be addressed. So, Lan decided to suck up his pride and let Megaman know what he was thinking about.

"Megaman…do you think we should…let our feelings be known to everyone else?"  
"Lan?"  
"I mean…do you consider us to be a couple? I mean…a real couple?"

Megaman was a little confused as to what Lan was talking about. Normally, it was the other way around. Normally, it was Lan who was confused whenever Megaman had to explain something to the boy. However, this time, Megaman was in Lan's position. The Navi's face reflected his feelings, and Lan took note of this.

"Megaman…I'm ask if you consider you and me to be together, a couple, like…dating-type couple." Now, things started to register in Megaman's mind. He finally realized what Lan was asking.

"Lan…what happened last night didn't happen because I wanted to know how it felt. It happened because of a different reason." Megaman stopped there. He looked at Lan, who was now smiling at him. Megaman took that as Lan knew what would be said next. But, Lan's face still gave off a 'you haven't answered my question yet' look.

"And, yes. I do consider us a couple," Megaman stated, return the smile to Lan.  
"So do I."

Lan kept on smiling, and his mind returned to his initial question towards Megaman, as he stated it again, hoping to get an answer. "Like I asked earlier…should we let everyone else know?"

Megaman simply shook his head no. "Nah, not right now. We shouldn't surprise them too much. And, we don't know if I will be able to keep the M-Program. For all we know, something might happen down the line, and I may have to have it uninstalled. That would ruin everything."

Lan looked at his friend…no…his boyfriend, simply smiled, and took him by the hand. The usually optimistic Lan Hikari actually showed some bit of pessimism, as he silently agreed with Megaman. This did cause the expression on his face to grow a little grim, but he still showed signs of happiness.

Neither of them had noticed, but when they both came out of their thoughts, they found themselves at the front gate of SciLab.

"Wow. I didn't realize we were here already," Lan stated, still holding Megaman's hand, who didn't mind the contact at all.  
"Yeah, I guess our talking made us lose track of time."  
"You got that right, Megaman."  
"Should we go inside?"  
"Yeah, might as well. The sooner the analysis is done, the sooner you can get out of there."  
"I agree, Lan. Let's go."

With that, Megaman and Lan went through the front gate. Lan quickly remembered Megaman's words and released his hand. Megaman was a little disappointed by the loss of touch, but he knew that they had to keep their relationship under wraps. They didn't want people to think it to be strange or anything like that. After all, a romantic relationship between a human and a NetNavi did seem rather strange in itself.

"Oh, there you two are!" A voice called from in front of the pair. Dr. Hikari came out of the building and starting walking towards his son and Megaman. Dr. Hikari took notice that Megaman was outside the PET, which was what he wanted for the first step of the analysis. He also noticed that Megaman was dressed in regular clothing, which was also something he wanted for the analysis.

"Hey, Dad! Megaman and I came here, just like you asked."  
"That's great, Lan. And, thank you for agreeing to this, Megaman."  
"No problem, Dr. Hikari. Glad to be of help."  
"That's the spirit, Megaman. So, shall we go inside?"

Megaman and Lan nodded their heads in unison and followed the scientist into the lobby of SciLab. They proceeded past the door that led to the interior of the building, and noticed a lot of construction going on. 'They must be fixing the damage caused by Cannonman,' Lan thought. It was a pretty tough battle. It did do a lot of damage to the SciLab structure, as well.

They continued past the NetNavi Recovery Room, where Megaman and Lan noticed that Protoman's PET was no longer inside. They took that as a good sign that Protoman was up and running once again. Lan knew that Chaud was probably happy that he got Protoman back.

"Ok, here we are, Laboratory #2. We'll run some tests on Megaman in here and analyze the resulting data that we collect. Hopefully, we will be able to discover exactly how the M-Program works, and if there are any after-effects." Dr. Hikari opened the door as he was making his statement. Lan knew that when he left Megaman and his PET here, they would both be in good hands. So, Lan handed his father the PET, as Megaman starting walking into the room.

Dr. Hikari and Lan were still outside the room, talking.

"I'll make sure we take good care of him, Lan. You don't need to worry about anything."  
"I'm not worried, Dad. I know he is in good hands, And, I'm sure you will figure this program out."  
"Hehe, you always were optimistic, Lan, just like your grandfather."  
"Oh, crap! I'm gonna be late!"  
"Don't worry, Lan. I'll have one of the SciLab vans drop you off at school. You won't be late."  
"Thanks, dad."

Lan left his dad to his work and went down the corridor. His father told him not to worry, and he said he wasn't worried, but it was a lie. Actually, this was probably the only time Lan could remember telling a lie and not getting caught by his own father. Lan was worried. He was worried that Megaman would have to have the M-Program taken out of him because something wasn't quite right. He was worried, if that happened, he would never get to spend time with Megaman ever again…not for a few years, actually, until they perfected the program.

"!" Lan's thinking caused him to lose focus and he ran into someone in the corridor. He fell, ass-first, into the ground with a loud -thud-.

"Sorry, my bad." Lan instinctively took his hands and put them behind him, both lifting himself up and rubbing his backside to help ease the pain. His eyes were fixated on the floor, as he didn't want to make eye contact with the person he just hit yet.

"Lan…do you never look where you are going?" The voice sounded awfully familiar. Lan finally got up on his feet and moved his eyes away from the floor. He slowly raised his head up so that his eyes would meet with the person who he ran into…and it happened to be Chaud, among other people.

"Chaud! Sorry…I have a lot of my mind, and I'm running late to get to school." Lan tried to be as apologetic as he could.

"Don't worry about it, Lan. You never were one to pay attention," Chaud said back, displaying his usual grin.

"Hey, I can't help it if I have a lot of think about!"  
"Think? You? Now, I have seen it all. Hehe."  
"I don't have time for this. I gotta get to school before I'm late."  
"Then, I guess I shouldn't keep you waiting."  
"Oh, Chaud. Did you get Protoman back?"  
"Yeah, he is fine now. Dr. Hikari says that Protoman might have been the first successful attempt at using the M-Program, However, we didn't know what was in store for us at the time."  
"Yeah, if what happened to Megaman was what was happening to Protoman, he might be here instead of Megaman."  
"When it comes to new technology like the M-Program, you can't be too careful."  
"You got that right."  
"By the way, Lan. Chief Keifer wants to see us this afternoon. And, by us, he means you, me, and the 'in the flesh' Megaman. The M-Program peaked his interest, and he wants to see the results."  
"Sure. Let him know I'll be there after scho…"

Lan's words were stopped mid-sentence as he remembered where he was supposed to be going. "OH, MAN! NOW, I'M GONNA BE LATE FOR SURE!" Lan ran past Chaud and to the front gate. The SciLab van was still waiting for him, but it was about ready to leave. Lan just barely made it inside before it left the front gate and went down the street.

Chaud looked out the glass doors of the Lobby and smiled. "That Lan…never can keep is mind on one thing."

A voice called out from somewhere on Chaud. "I have to agree with you, Chaud. He can be pretty scatter-brained sometimes."

"Yup. You are completely right, Protoman."

A tiny and translucent Protoman appeared on Chaud's shoulder. Protoman was looking much better since Famous fixed him up. He was even able to defragment some of Protoman's data, allowing him to move through the Net at his full speed.

"By the way, Chaud. The company called. You have a meeting with that distribution company about the new software BlazeQuest developed."  
"Yeah, I remember, Protoman. But, that distribution company isn't worth the money."  
"How do you figure?"  
"Did you forget what happened the last time we had them distribute something we developed?"  
"Now that you mention it, I DO remember, and the mix-up was not that bad, Chaud."  
"Says you. We were flooded with calls for the entire day. It was total chaos."  
"What do you want me to tell them?"  
"Tell them to find a different distribution company. The current one is not worth my time."

With that, Protoman gave Chaud a nod and disappeared to send the message off.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Alright, Megaman. Just relax for a moment. We'll start the testing soon." Dr. Hikari's words were actually soothing to Megaman. In all honesty, he would rather have the man who created him run the tests than anyone else, even Famous. He figured Dr. Hikari knew more about him than anyone else, and to have his creator examine and run the tests was a weight off of Megaman's shoulders.

"Ok, Megaman. We are going to start now. What I want you to do first is try to return to the PET via the NetLine."

Megaman gave the older man a nod and concentrated on sending his data back to the PET. He wasn't exactly sure how to do this, but he figured it had to have been controlled by something inside him. He closed his eyes and concentrated on establishing a link between himself and the PET through the NetLine. It didn't take much effort, and Megaman started to feel himself being dragged through the NetLine and into the PET. The scientists in the room all looked at Megaman, whose body was now starting to break up into pixilated boxes and disappear.

In one swift motion, Megaman disappeared from sight in an explosion of pixilated boxes. All of the scientists, including Dr. Hikari, had worried expressions on their faces. However, those expressions were quickly replaced with smiles of relief when they heard a voice call out from the PET.

"I'm ok. I made it back into the PET." They were able to quickly identify the voice as Megaman's. Dr. Hikari lifted the device up from the table it was sitting on and looked at the monitor. He didn't see Megaman, though. It grew a little worried, but the emotion soon left him when Megaman's translucent hologram appeared on the device. However, he wasn't in the clothing Lan picked out for him. Rather, he appeared in his Navi jumpsuit.

"Great job, Megaman. It looks like 3 functions of the M-Program are working."  
"3 Functions? You know that many are working just based on me returning to the PET?"  
"Actually, I figured it out from what happened yesterday and today. You see, one function was to make your body human, another one was for BattleChip transmissions, and the third was using the NetLine to return you to the Cyberworld."  
"I see. I guess we are still down one function, though."  
"You're right, Megaman. Now that we know you can move back to the Cyberworld, we have to make sure that you can move back to the human world, as well."

Megaman nodded his head, as he already knew what Dr. Hikari was going to ask of him. He then kept his eyes open, but concentrated on creating a NetLine and then transferring his data to the human world via the NetLine. It didn't take much effort, as his hologram disappeared, and pixilated boxes appeared in the human world. They all converged into one spot and form into a shape. When the boxes finally reorganized and defragmented, there stood Megaman. However, he was not in his jumpsuit. Rather, he had materialized in the clothing that he was wearing before he had re-entered his PET.

"Good job, Megaman."  
"Thanks, Dr. Hikari."  
"Hmmm…that is strange, though."  
"What is?"  
"Your clothing. When you re-entered your PET, your clothing changed back to your jumpsuit, helmet, and everything else you would normally wear while in the Cyberworld. However, you just came back to the human world, and you are wearing the clothing you had when before you went back to your PET."  
"You're right. That is a little strange."

Dr. Hikari looked at one of the scientists in the room, seeing if perhaps he had an explanation for this occurrence. However, the scientist didn't give any hint of knowing exactly what had happened. Dr. Hikari looked away and back at Megaman, thinking of a theory as to why this has happened.

"Megaman, can you re-enter the Cyberworld again? I want to test a theory to explain this."  
"No problem."

Megaman, once again, concentrated on the NetLine to the PET, and attempted to re-transmit his data back to the device. Since he had just done it once already, this time, he did it faster than the first time. His body exploded in pixilated boxes and disappeared, only to reappear shortly after inside the tiny computer in Dr. Hikari's hand. Megaman was in his normal jumpsuit and armor.

Dr. Hikari then turned to another scientist. "Alright. Let's run a scan on Megaman's data. I want to see if anything new, besides the M-Program, has been added to him."

"Yes, sir!"

"Megaman, I'm going to jack you into the computer so we can analyze your data now. Everything that we needed to see visually with the M-Program is finished. We just need to see how your data is reacting to the presence of the program, and see if it has added anything that we were not made aware of in the beginning."

Megaman looked up from the device, and simply nodded his head. He knew that this whole process wasn't going to be easy, and it would most likely take a long time to complete. But, he wasn't going to complain. He wanted to make sure that he was able to keep the program. He liked being able to be with Lan's friends in the real world, and he didn't want to give that up.

A red beam of light came from the PET as it made contact with a lens on a computer terminal. Megaman was then jacked into the computer. He appeared on the terminal screen, ready to be put into a sleep-like state while the analysis took place. Megaman was no stranger to this. He had been analyzed so many times that it was almost second nature to him.

"Ok, Megaman. We are going to put you on standby while we analyze your data. It shouldn't take too long. Hopefully, it won't last more than 3 hours or so."  
"No problem. I've been 'under the knife' longer than that. Hehe."

Dr. Hikari and Megaman both laughed a little at the comment. He had programmed Megaman to have a sense of humor, and it showed from time to time. As their laughter faded, Dr. Hikari opened Megaman's program and initiated Standby mode, therefore putting Megaman in a sleep-like state.

A pair of rings appeared around Megaman's now sleeping body and began to rotate around him, scanning and compiling his data so that the scientists in the room could analyze it, making sure everything was working normally.

Dr. Hikari could only hope that things would work out in the end.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Well, Lan. It looks like you made it just on time, again." Ms. Mari smiled as she stated the obvious. Lan had just gotten to class on time, actually for the third day in a row. He was on time the day before yesterday, he made it to SciLab early yesterday, and, with some help from a SciLab van, got to class on-time today. This was a new record for Lan. He had never been on-time this much.

Lan smiled and took his seat. He briefly looked around the classroom to see who was here and who wasn't. He noticed that Dex, Yai, and Maylu were all in their seats. He didn't bother looking for Tory, since he was in classroom 6-B, while they were in classroom 6-A. He did notice one of the desks was empty. It must have been a student that Lan normally didn't talk to, since he couldn't remember who sat there.

"Hey, Lan. How is Megaman," Maylu whispered, leaning over to Lan's desk while Ms. Mari was writing something on the board.

"Yeah. How is he? Everything ok," Dex added.

"Oh…I don't know, actually. As soon as I dropped him off, I had to leave." Lan didn't exactly know how Megaman was doing, but he knew Megaman was in good hands. If anything happened, he would get a call from SciLab. The driver of the SciLab van that brought him to school was instructed to give Lan a SubPET, so that he could still carry out everyday functions.

"Lan, Dex, Maylu. Perhaps you three have something to add to this problem?" Ms. Mari's voice brought the children's attention back to the front of the room. Ms. Mari did sound a little angry, but she still maintained a somewhat cheerful expression on her face.

"Not at all, Ms. Mari," The three of them replied, in unison.

"Well, then. Since your chat is done, I do have an announcement to make."

The class looked at the front of the room. Two announcements in 3 days? That was a rarity. It was something that barely, if ever, happened.

"Today, I have a surprise lecturer for you. For those of you who were in classroom 5-A last year, you might remember him."

Lan, Dex, and Maylu looked at each other. They knew who it was. It was the only lecturer they had the year before. All other "lecturers" they had were either on field trips or given to multiple classrooms in the Lecture Hall. And, since Ms. Mari specifically pointed out that classroom 5-A would have more knowledge than anyone else about this specific person, it could only be one person.

"This lecturer will be coming in shortly and explaining some more advanced principles of Virus Busting. He use to be an expert in the field, and is willing to share his experience with us."

Now, the three children knew exactly who it was. Now, they had to sit through his boring lecture. The door to classroom 6-A started to slide open, as a tall man who wore glasses, a dress shirt, and blue pants stepped inside.

"Now, everyone. I would like you to welcome Mr. Higsby."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Wow…that was some boring lecture today," Lan said, as he stretched his arms before picking up the chopsticks in front of him. It was lunchtime, and Higsby's lecture was over.

"Lan, how can you really say that? I mean, sure. Higsby can be boring at times, but he was sharing his knowledge with us. Doesn't that count for something?" Maylu's voice sounded a little angry. While she did agree with Lan that the lecture was boring, she at least had the manners to not blurt it out.

"Maylu, you don't understand. Megaman and I are already top notch NetBattlers, and we knew all of those 'advanced' techniques Higsby talked about. It was like a broken record."

"Lan…you are so full of yourself, sometimes."  
"Yeah, Lan. Don't be so full of yourself. That is why we have a hard time in our battles sometimes."

The voice from that last comment made Lan swallow his food hard, most of it not chewed fully. He recognized that voice, and instinctively took out his SubPET. On the screen of the device, he saw Megaman, giving off a smile and laughing to himself a bit.

"Megaman! Are they all done with the tests?"  
"Not yet. We are just taking a small break right now. They are analyzing a large chunk of data that was collected."  
"So…does that mean that they are almost done?"  
"Couldn't tell ya. I've never been examined like this before. But, so far, nothing bad had been found."  
"That's awesome, Megaman. That must mean that the M-Program is working completely."  
"Don't get too excited, Lan. The testing isn't done just yet. They still have a good amount to do. But, your dad said that it should all be done by the time you are out of school today."  
"Just make sure you come back, ok, Megaman?"  
"I promise, Lan."

With that, they exchanged smiles, and Megaman's image left the SubPET screen. Lan didn't notice, but Maylu, Dex, and Yai were all leaning over his shoulders, getting a look and eavesdropping on their conversation. As he put the device back in his shorts' pocket, he turned around to see his three friends' faces right there. This made him jump a little bit.

"So, what did he say? Is everything ok?" Maylu was the first to ask.  
"Yeah, come on. Tell us, Lan!" Dex joined in soon afterwards.  
"Will Megaman's testing be done soon?" Yai concluded with another question.

"Guys, guys! Geez. You scared me there for a moment," Lan stated, obviously a little shocked to see his friends that close to him, and him now knowing about it.

"Enough stalling, Lan. Tell us!" Dex was starting to get a little excited about it. But, he did tend to do that on occasion.

"Well, the testing isn't done yet. But, so far, they haven't found anything wrong with Megaman. Things are looking really good right now. Hopefully, they will be done once school is out for the day."

The other three children all got relieved expressions on their faces. Whether they admitted it or not, they were all worried about Megaman. That NetNavi was the one who saved the world not once, not twice, but three times. To Lan's friends, Megaman wasn't just some NetNavi you worry about a little bit, then forget it. No. Megaman was a NetNavi who you always worried about when something happened to him.

"Well, at least that is good news, Lan," Maylu said, with relief in her voice.  
"That means we can NetBattle soon," Dex added to the conversation.  
"Yeah, and you and Megaman can beat Dex, like you always do," Yai concluded.

Dex shot Yai a look after her comment, but silently admitted defeat. Maylu, Yai, and Lan all chuckled at the comment and Dex's reaction. It's true. Dex tried to be a hot shot. But, when it came to NetBattling Lan and Megaman, there was no contest. Megaman would defeat Gutsman over and over and over again.

"Ok, everyone. Make sure you finish up your lunches. Class will need to begin soon," Ms. Mari said, in her usual cheery voice, but still holding a degree of commanding, as a teacher needed.

The children finished up their lunches, and class then resumed.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Hmmm…ok, Megaman. Let's try something. I want you to come back into the human world for about 10 minutes."  
"You sure, Dr. Hikari?"  
"Yes, I am sure. I want to test the range of the NetLine. So, I want to keep the PET here, and have you go in one of the SciLab vans. If my theory is correct, when you get to a certain range, the NetLine will attempt to get your data back to the PET, because if you go out of range, your data might break up, and result in deletion."  
"That sounds…dangerous. Do we know if the NetLine will actually retrieve my data if I get too far away?"  
"That's the 64,000 Zenny question. But, this is important. If you and Lan ever get separated while you are in the real world, we need to know how far you can go from the PET before anything serious happens. I'm afraid…this test is a necessary evil."  
"I understand."  
"Thank you, Megaman. Come on over whenever you are ready."

Megaman nodded at Dr. Hikari. Megaman had moved from the Cyberworld to the human world so much that day, he didn't need to concentrate much at all to establish the NetLine and transfer over. In just a few seconds, he disappeared from the PET and appeared in the human world after the pixilated boxes formed. Just like all the other times, his clothing changed from his normal jumpsuit and armor to a t-shirt, blue jeans, and shoes. Dr. Hikari had figured out that when Megaman went back inside the PET, the M-Program saved his clothing in digital form and stored it inside his Navi Program. When he moved from the Cyberworld to the human world, the M-Program would switch the clothing.

"Ok, Megaman. I'll leave the PET in here. The NetLine transmits through solid objects. So, interference should not be a problem."  
"Alright. I'll keep track of the distance in the SciLab van."  
"Good, and I'll keep track here in the lab."

Megaman and Dr. Hikari exchanged nods, and Megaman left the laboratory. He was being escorted by a SciLab scientist to the front gate, where a van was waiting for them. Megaman climbed into the passenger seat, while the scientist got into the driver seat. The van was then started, and they proceeded to leave.

_-Distance: 200 meters-_

Dr. Hikari looked at the computer screen in front of him. The distance between Megaman and the PET was starting to grow. So far, nothing seemed to be going on. The distance kept increasing, and Dr. Hikari was hopeful that they might reach 1 kilometer.

_-Distance: 400 meters-_

Megaman sat in the passenger seat of the van, letting the on-board computer keep track of the distance. He wasn't feeling strange all. He was actually hoping that the distance would keep increasing, in case he and Lan got separated during some kind of attack.

_-Distance: 600 meters-_

Dr. Hikari's eyes were fixated on the computer screen. While the distance was still increasing, he was also recording any data that appeared on the screen, noting any changes in the NetLine which would indicate something going wrong. So far, things were rather good.

_-Distance: 800 meters-_

Megaman started to feel a little bit uneasy. The distance was getting further and further apart. In fact, he felt a little nauseated in his stomach. Normally, if he ever worried about something, he didn't feel this way. He immediately contacted Dr. Hikari.

"Dr. Hikari. I'm not feeling well."  
"Megaman? What do you mean?"  
"Well…I am feeling a little nauseated, like I am sick to my stomach."  
"Hmmm…have the driver stop the van. This might mean we are reaching the limit."

Megaman looked over the driver and let him know what Dr. Hikari said. The driver then started to slow the van down, pulling over to the side of the road, making a complete stop.

_-Distance: 1 kilometer-_

As the van stopped, Megaman started feeling worse. His body was aching, as though something inside him was slowing being torn apart. He looked at the video screen, and Dr. Hikari immediately took note of Megaman's pained expression.

"Alright. I think that is far enough. You can come back, now. We don't want anything to happen to you."

Megaman, who was in too much pain to respond, simply gave a very quick nod, and the driver turned around and headed back to SciLab. Only 200 meters from where they had stopped, Megaman started to feel better. His body no longer ached, but he still felt a little nauseous.

A few minutes later, The van arrived back at SciLab. Megaman and the driver proceeded into the building and headed for Laboratory #2.

"There you are, Megaman. How are you feeling?" Dr. Hikari was worried about Megaman. He looked extremely pained only a few minutes ago.

"I'm ok, now."  
"You don't feel any nausea at all?"  
"Nope. That passed as we were coming here."  
"Do you remember at which marker it was?"  
"I think around the 800 meter marker. That is when it started on the way out, and when it went away on the trip back."  
"I think we just found the range of the Net Line."  
"Probably."

Dr. Hikari looked at the information that was gathered from the experiment. He let Megaman know what the NetLine, not only allowed for the transmission of data from the PET to the materialized NetNavi, but was also the very lifeline for the NetNavi. The NetLine was the singled that was needed to keep the NetNavi materialized. If it was disrupted or the NetNavi got too far from the source, the program would forcibly retrieve the NetNavi and return them to their PET.

"Oh, look at the time. Lan is probably going to be out of school soon."  
"Oh, I didn't notice the time."  
"Hey, Megaman. Why don't you go and surprise Lan when he leaves school?"  
"Hey, that's a great idea. Wait…that means we are done here?"  
"As done as we can get. We got everything that needed to get done…well…done."

Megaman smiled at the comment, took the PET, and left for DenTech Academy.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

As the bell rang, Lan bolted out of his desk and made his way to the classroom door. After not talking to Megaman for a while, he wanted to see him the first chance he got. Maylu, Yai, and Dex took note of Lan's movements, and decided it best to just let him see his best friend.

Lan had just gotten in the hallway when he was Tory, who stopped him. "Hey, Lan. Where are you off to in such a rush?"

"I need to get to SciLab to see how Megaman is doing."  
"Ohh, I see. Well, I hope he is doing ok. Tell him I said hello!"  
"Will do, Tory. Thanks!"

Lan proceeded down the hallway and out the front doors of the school. He was in the courtyard, and noticed it was empty. 'Of course it's empty. I'm probably the first one out here.' Lan's attention was drawn from the empty courtyard to a figure that was standing by the front gate to the school. He squinted his eyes and saw that it was Megaman. He became filled with joy that the M-Program was still in place.

"Hey, Lan. Over here!"  
"Megaman! You're back!"  
"Yeah, they said that, basically, everything was working fine."  
"That's great to hear. I thought for sure that they might have had to take the program out of you."  
"What's that? Is the usually optimistic Lan Hikari showing signs of pessimism?"  
"Ha-ha. Very funny, Megaman."

Megaman chuckled at Lan's reaction. But, after only a second or two, Lan joined Megaman in the laughter. He had to admit, he always looked for the best possible outcome of events. However, lately, he didn't seem to do that often. It was like something inside him was making him realize other potential outcomes.

"By the way, Lan. We figured out that the NetLine has a range."  
"Really? How far?"  
"Well, at 800 meters, I started to feel a little nauseous, and at 1 kilometer, it felt like my whole body was being ripped apart from the inside. Your dad said that 1 kilometer was probably the maximum distance I can be away from the PET before the M-Program forcibly recalls my data."  
"That shouldn't be a problem. I know you won't wander off that much."

Megaman shot Lan a look, but they both started to laugh at the comment. Megaman never really left Lan's side. He was devoted to the boy 100 percent. However, that didn't mean that they didn't have their disagreements. None of them were really bad, mostly just a small exchange of words, which then ended in both of them apologizing to the other.

"Hey, Megaman. It's probably been a long day for you. Let's head home."

Megaman looked at Lan and smiled, nodding his head, as they walked back home.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

**_Wow! I didn't expect to get this chapter out so late. I was hoping to get more reviews for the previous chapter before I continued, but I figured it would be better if I uploaded this one, hoping to spark more interest!_**


	8. Chapter 8: Long Walk Home

Chapter 8 - Long Walk Home

Lan and Megaman both left the courtyard of DenTech Academy. Lan wanted to reach down and hold Megaman's hand so much. He wanted to feel that contact with Megaman one more time before they got home. However, he didn't think that now was the best time for that. But...he didn't understand why this didn't feel like the right time. Megaman was ok. He would be able to keep the M-Program. He could still come to the human world. They could still be together. So...why did this moment not feel right for him? He just couldn't explain it.

"Lan? Are you ok? You seem a little distracted." Megaman's comment brought Lan out of his thoughts. He looked at his NetNavi, his facial expression still looking a little gloomy. Megaman took note of this and smiled, trying to see if it would help Lan snap out of this mood he was in. It didn't seem to help all that much, though. Lan's expression did not change.

"Well...I guess I can't stop thinking about the UnderNet Mafia. I just can't shake the feeling that something is going to happen soon."  
"Don't worry about it, Lan. If anything happens, we can handle it. We have faced tougher situations before, and came out on top."  
"It isn't that I am worried. It's that...well...Cannonman's comments...I just can't get them out of my head."  
"Which ones?"  
"He said that once he was rid of Chaud and me, there would be nothing in the way of the UnderNet Mafia taking over the human world. And, you saw how he got into SciLab."

Megaman remembered well. That was the first time in a month or two that he had seen a copyroid, let alone one that was functional. And, to make that situation worse, it was used by someone with an evil intent, and Megaman had to battle with him in order to same Lan and Chaud, not to mention the rest of SciLab, and maybe even DenTech City itself.

An awkward silence fell between them. Lan was lost in his own thoughts as well as Megaman. They didn't notice it at first, but it didn't take them long to realize it either. Their hands had met with the other and were now holding on tight. Megaman looked down at the contact sight and smiled inward. Lan did the same. It was just an amazing feeling for them both. They had made contact with each other in the past, such as during their incursion into Beyondard. However, this was something totally different. It was actual skin contact, something that they had never felt with each other before...at least, not before yesterday.

They were brought out of their thoughts when they saw Ms. Mari walk into Miyu's Antique Shop. The two boys looked at each other and decided to stop in and say hi. They walked through the front door of the shop, releasing their hands from the other. Miyu was behind the counter, her crystal ball in front of her, like always. Ms. Mari was about to take a seat in front of Miyu. Neither Miyu nor Ms. Mari noticed that Lan and Megaman had entered the shop...until they made their presence know.

"Hi, Ms. Mari," Lan and Megaman said, in unison.

Ms. Mari's face flushed a little as she turned around to see the two boys behind her. She immediately recognized Lan. However, she wasn't sure who the other boy was. Could it have been one of Lan's new friends? Maybe it was a new transfer student that she didn't know about. Or, could he have been from one of the private schools in the area? Ms. Mari was at a lost of words. But, she did find the courage to speak up.

"Well, hello Lan. What brings you here?"  
"We just wanted to stop by and say hello."  
"We? Oh, how silly of me. Who is your new friend, Lan?"

"It's Megaman." Miyu's voice made its presence known to her visitors. The three of them turned around and faced the fortuneteller sitting behind the counter. Her eyes were closed. She normally had her eyes closed or half-lidded when she was focusing on telling someone's fortune or predicting the future. Lan and Megaman both had shocked looks on their faces. However, Ms. Mari, on the other hand, had a very confused look on her face.

"Miyu...how did you know that..." Lan was cut off by Miyu, who knew exactly what he was going to say.  
"I am a fortuneteller, Lan. I saw what happened yesterday before it even happened."  
"You did?" Megaman became more curious than shocked now.  
"I did. I also know what will happen in 2 days, and you both must watch your steps."

Lan and Megaman looked at each other. Their expressions now went from shocked to overly worried. But, it didn't take long for their expressions to change back to shocked, as Megaman came face to face with Ms, Mari, who was now looking at him very closely, trying to figure out if he was real or not.

"Oh, wow! I never knew Megaman could be in our world!" Ms. Mari didn't hide one bit of excitement from her voice. Like most people, seeing a NetNavi in the human world was a rare occurrence.

"Ummm...Ms. Mari...you're a little too close..." Megaman, still in shock, was getting nervous, having Lan's teacher so close to his face.  
"Oh, my. Sorry, Megaman. This is just something that you don't get to see very often."  
"I understand, Ms. Mari. It just made me a little nervous having someone look at me like that. This is a whole new experience for me, as well."  
"Oh, I apologize, Megaman."  
"Sure, no problem."

Megaman and Ms. Mari exchanged smiles. Lan chuckled to himself. He never saw Megaman act like that before. It was actually very funny, seeing Megaman, who was always so calm and composed, get nervous over such a little thing. He didn't notice it, but he started to let his inward laughter out, and Megaman took notice. He shot Lan a look that seemed to say 'That's not funny,' but quickly saw the humor behind it.

"Ms. Mari. While I am aware that this is the time that you normally come in to have your fortune read, I would like to ask you to step outside. I want to speak with Lan and Megaman in private." Miyu's voice sounded rather commanding, even for her. Ms. Mari looked at the blue-haired girl, and nodded her head. As. Ms. Mari walked out the front door, Miyu turned her attention to the pair of boys in front of her. Both Lan and Megaman had worried looks on their faces. Miyu wasn't really one to talk to people in private.

"Megaman...Lan...you must tread lightly. Do not underestimate the UnderNet Mafia. They are the next biggest threat to our world."  
"Miyu...what is going to happened in a few days? You said you saw the future."  
"I saw you, Lan. However, you did not see anyone else."  
"Huh? What does that mean?"  
"Lan. I am saying that you need to be careful. Your future is uncertain, and that is even worse than knowing if something bad will happen."

Lan looked at the blue-haired woman in front of him. Now, instead of being nervous, he was scared down to his core. Miyu's predictions were always right. However, when something was uncertain, things never turned out for the better. However, Miyu has been wrong on one occasion, and that was back during the first N1 Grand Prix. She predicted Lan would lose, which he did not. The difference is that Miyu threw the match, as it was a test to see how he would handle the events following the N1.

Megaman looked at Lan, then at Miyu, then back to Lan, then back at Miyu. He had his own question he wanted Miyu to answer.

"Miyu...what about me? What happens to me?"  
"Megaman...I see you...in pain. But, it is not physical...it is emotional."  
"Emotional? What do you mean?"  
"That, I am not sure. Only time will tell. For your future, too, is not without uncertainty."

Now, Megaman started to feel the same as Lan. They had never seen Miyu like this before. Normally, her predictions were just about simple things, like when Ms. Mari came in. Ms. Mari just wanted to know what her love life was in for; simple stuff that like. But, Lan and Megaman have never seen Miyu this serious before.

A knock came on the door of the shop, and Miyu let Ms. Mari back in. Ms. Mari took note of Lan and Megaman's expressions. She felt like it was her duty, not only as Lan's teacher, but as his friend, to cheer him up.

"Lan…Megaman. Whatever Miyu told you…don't worry about it. You two have impressed and made me proud of you all the time. Whatever it is, you will overcome it. You always do."

The two boys looked at Ms. Mari and smiled. Her words were very reassuring to them both.

"Now, if Lan could just get to school on time everyday, then there would never be any trouble at all!" Now, after that comment from Ms. Mari, Lan started to blush profusely. Megaman, on the other hand, laughed at the comment and his NetOp's reaction to it. Lan's face, still red, looked at Megaman and shot him a look. Megaman could only laugh more at this. Ms. Mari soon joined in. Lan's face turned red even more. However, he eventually gave him and had himself a light chuckle before him and Megaman left Miyu's shop.

The two boys continued to walk down the street. Now, instead of their thoughts being on the UnderNet Mafia, they were now dwelling on Miyu's prediction. 'She did mention the UnderNet Mafia. Maybe they have something to do with what will happen to me and Megaman." Lan's thoughts were running through his head very rapidly. Megaman was no different. His thoughts on the situation were also making themselves known in his head.

"Hey, Lan. Do you think we should be worried about what is suppose to happen?"  
"I'm not sure, Megaman. After hearing Miyu's predictions...I just can't think right now."

Megaman saw this as an opportunity to try and make light of the situation. He was always good at that. His random comments regarding situations in an attempt to make light of it were mostly effective.

"You? Thinking? Well, isn't that something new?"

Lan looked at Megaman, who was trying to suppress a chuckle under his breath. Lan, however, wasn't amused at first. His demeanor did not change, and Megaman took note of this, and stifled his laughter. However, it didn't take long for Lan to smile at the NetNavi, and give off a little bit of a laugh himself. This eased Megaman's mind, as he thought that his comment may have made things worse than what they already were.

Lan leaned over to Megaman's ear. "That is why I love you. You can always make me laugh," he whispered. Megaman felt a slight blush appear across his face. Even though Lan had suggested that they keep their relationship under wraps, Lan seemed to be getting more and more open about it, and this whisper in the Megaman's ear was the most recently occurrence. However, Megaman composed himself, as did Lan.

Without knowing it, they found themselves in front of Sal's Flower Shop. Since it was still mid-day, the shop was still open, at least for another hour or so. Lan decided that he and Megaman should stop in and say hello to Sal, both as a means of being nice, and to show off Megaman, which Lan had been doing practically all day thus far.

The both stepped through the door and a bell sounded. Sal, who knew the bell meant a customer or visitor had just come in, came out from behind her counter to greet the new comers.

"Hello. How can I help you? Oh, It's you, Lan."  
"Hey, Sal. How're are you doing?"  
"I'm doing great, Lan. Thanks for asking."

While Sal was talking she noticed the other boy standing by Lan. She looked at him, with her usually cheerful demeanor, and examined him. By looking at the face, she thought that he resembled Megaman, but she wasn't sure. The clothing was different, but he had the same hair style in the back of the head. She decided to go out on a limb (no pun intended).

"This must be Megaman. Am I right, Lan?"

Megaman and Lan looked at each other, both with surprised expressions on their faces. Did everyone know that Megaman was able to move between the real and Cyber worlds? Lan decided that he should ask the question that he knew Megaman was thinking.

"Sal…How did you know? Did Miyu tell you?"  
"Nope. I just decided to take a guess. And, from your answer, I guess I was right."  
"Well…umm…yeah…"  
"Hehe. Don't be so nervous, Lan. And, it is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Megaman."  
"You too, Sal."

Sal extended her hand, and Megaman accepted the handshake. They both then exchanged smiles, and released. Lan looked at the two of them, noticing how calm they both were. It was a far better situation to be in than when they said hello to Miyu. Hell, Miyu scared them stiff with her predictions for the coming days.

"So, what brings you two boys to my shop?"

Lan and Megaman looked at each other. "Well, we actually just stopped by to say hello." Megaman was the one who responded to Sal's question.

"Oh. Well then, hello to you, as well. There is some tea if you want some. It should still be warm. Help yourselves."

The two boys nodded their heads and headed over to the small table near the back of the shop. There were 4 seats at the small table, with a teapot in the middle, along with neatly stacked teacups. The teapot was decorated in a flower-type pattern, evident to Sal's love of nature. Lan went to touch the pot, and found it still to be warm. Both he and Megaman sat down at the table, as Lan poured himself and Megaman a small cup of the warm liquid. Lan took a sip of it, and tried to hold in a bit of disgust. Sal liked to make tea. However, whatever she made it out of, Lan wasn't sure. However, he didn't really like the taste. Megaman smiled at Lan's reaction to the tea and took a sip for himself.

"Mmmm…This is delicious. Thanks, Sal."  
"You're quite welcome, Megaman."  
"Geez, Megaman. You are acting like Maylu when it comes to Sal's tea."

Megaman laughed at Lan's comment as he took another sip of the tea. This was the first taste of tea Megaman had had. The other times he drank something, it was either water, which got rid of the curry spice quickly, or milk, which he had with breakfast this morning. The tea seemed to help calm his body and mind, making him feel at ease. Sal finished watering a few plants and went over to Lan and Megaman to join them.

"So, you boys just came from Miyu's shop?"  
"Yeah, she saw in her crystal ball that Megaman would get into the human world."  
"Well, Lan. She is a fortuneteller. Did Megaman say hi to Skullman while he was there?"  
"Oh, that slipped my mind. I didn't think of saying hello to Skullman. Is Woodman around?"  
"He should be back, soon. I sent him to Net City to pick up a few things for the shop. Do you want to stick around and wait for him to come back?"

Lan and Megaman looked at each other. "Nah, we should actually be going, Sal. I need to make sure Lan actually does his homework once this week."

"Hey! I did my homework all by myself 3 days ago!"  
"Ok, you did do your homework then, Lan. But, only 10 out of 30 math problems shouldn't really count."

Lan glared at Megaman, who was now trying to suppress his laughter. Sal let out a soft snicker at the situation. Now, instead of just being a little mad at Megaman, Lan was now starting to blush a little bit across his face.

However, He pulled himself together as he and Megaman said their goodbyes to Sal and left the shop.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Dr. Hikari, we just finished analyzing the scanned data from Megaman."

One of the scientists took a few seconds to look up from his screen to inform Lan's father about the analysis completion. Dr. Hikari gave the other scientist a nod, and walked over to another screen, which was connected to the computer that analyzed the data. He looked at the screen, and a pleasant look came over his face.

"It looks like everything is as it should be. Good work, everyone."

All of the other scientists in the room nodded their heads and proceeded to shut off their terminals, getting ready to move onto other projects, or go home for a little rest and relaxation. Most of the terminals were turned off as the majority if the scientists, save Dr. Hikari, left the room to do what they needed to do. He was still examining the data that was collected from the testing earlier in the day.

"Hmmm…that's odd. I didn't notice this before."

Dr. Hikari noticed something in the analysis. It looked at though something was added to Megaman's original data. How it got there, the scientist didn't know. However, before he went and jumped to any conclusions as to what it was or what it did, he needed to examine it more thoroughly.

It had been an exhausting day of work, and Dr. Hikari was tired. He momentarily took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. All of the work that had been going on over the past 24 hours had caused him to develop a slight headache. It wasn't anything major, just a slight pain. This wouldn't have been the first time this happened, though. The same thing happened while was he developing the SynchroChip and first Dimensional Area Generator for SciLab. He had worked so hard and long that his mind finally decided to rebel a little and make his head hurt.

Seeing that he might need a little something to keep him awake, he replaced his glasses and went into the hallway. There, he found a vending machine that was specifically made for dispensing all kinds of drinks. He didn't want anything too strong, like one of those "High-energy" drinks the machine offered. No, he decided that a simple cup of coffee with cream and 2 sugars would be enough. He inserted his money, and the machine dispensed the beverage.

With his coffee in hand, he returned to the laboratory. He took a brief sip of the hot liquid in the cup and continued to examine the data. His attention was turned back to the information he found to be interesting. Once again, he lifted his glasses off his face and rubbed the bridge of his nose. The coffee wasn't going to kick in for a little while, and his headache still persisted. In a few seconds, he replaced his glasses and continued to look at the screen in front of him.

"Hmmm…this data…I don't recall this being here before." Dr. Hikari was a little perplexed at what he saw. He knew it wasn't something in Megaman's original Navi program, and he didn't think that it was something the M-Program added. He then started thinking a little bit more. 'It might have been added by the NetLine.'

He took another sip of coffee and continued his work.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Hey, Megaman. Want to stop at #1 Curry?"  
"I don't have to eat anything, right?"

Lan laughed at his NetNavi's comment. True. The night before when Megaman had his first taste of Curry Rice, it ended with him downing a glass of water because it was too spicy for him. Megaman didn't intend for his comment to make Lan laugh, but it did. He knew why Lan was laughing, and had himself a light snicker.

"I guess we can. I mean, we can see Dingo and Yahoot while we are there."  
"That's the spirit, Megaman. Let's go!"  
"Right on, Lan!"

The duo continued on with their walk. The streets had about the normal amount of people walking. It was about 5:30 pm, and a lot of people were getting off of work. Lan and Megaman could see several traffic jams as they continued on their path. DenTech City also had a lot of large television screens throughout the city. Most of them were used by companies to advertise new products, services, or announcements. Lan looked at a few of them hanging overhead, seeing what the most recent products were, and perhaps sparking his interest if they were something he needed or wanted.

"Hey, Lan! Wait up, buckaroo!" A familiar voice sounded from behind Lan and Megaman. They both turned around to see an older man on a bicycle with what appeared to be a type of mobile cooling chest on the back of it, probably used for keeping food fresh during transportation.

"Hey, Maysa. What brings you out here?"  
"Well, I was gathering up these here fish to bring on down to the market. I saw you, and wanted to make sure you were getting your Calcium."  
"You always have the same line, Maysa"  
"By the way, Lan. Who is this here young fella?"

Maysa was obviously referring to Megaman. He was giving off his usual smile, and rather distinctive fish aroma. Since Lan was around Maysa a good amount of time, he didn't even notice the fish aroma that was emanating from the older man. Megaman, however, was never able to smell anything because he was always in his PET. The smell of raw fish filled his nostrils, and he didn't like it too much.

"This is Megaman, Maysa."

Maysa looked at Lan with a confused and perplexed look on his face. His mind was trying to process the comment from the boy. Lan had noticed that the entire day, when he introduced Megaman in the flesh, people found it extremely hard to believe. Finally, Maysa smiled and laughed. Now, it was Lan and Megaman who had the confused look on their faces.

"Ha-ha, ha-ha. That was a good one, buckaroo. I never knew you could be a funny guy."  
"Uhhh…Maysa…I wasn't trying to be funny. This IS Megaman."  
"Stop yanking my chain, Lan. There ain't no way a NetNavi can be in this here human world."  
"But…it's true, Maysa. This is Megaman, outside his PET, and in the flesh."  
"Ha-ha. Lan, you sure know how to make a person laugh. Anyways, I gotta get going. Don't want these fish here to go a spoiling on me!"

Maysa started to peddle his bicycle and went past Lan and Megaman. He then turned a corner and went out of sight. The two boys looked at each other.

"Well, that didn't go very well, Megaman."  
"I guess we can't expect everyone to believe what we say, Lan."  
"Yeah, you're probably right."

With those comments, Lan and Megaman continued on their walk to #1 Curry. Megaman actually couldn't wait to see Dingo and Tomahawkman. He knew that they would be taken by complete surprise by seeing him outside of the Cyberworld and in the flesh. Although, he wasn't sure how Yahoot would take to his being in the human world. The man never seemed to have any emotions.

"Megaman, here we are." Lan's words brought Megaman out of his train of thought. His eyes became aware of what they were looking at once again, and he focused on the building in front of them. The sign above the doorway had "#1 Curry" written on it.

"Oh. I didn't realize we were here already."  
"Megaman…are you ok? You have been quiet for the past 5 minutes."  
"Oh, sorry Lan. I was just thinking about how Dingo, Tomahawkman, and Yahoot would react."  
"React to wha…oh, I see. React to you being in the human world."  
"Yeah. I can imagine Dingo saying I am some evil spirit that has come for him."

The two had a laugh at the comment. Dingo hailed from a tribe of natives who inhabited Jawaii Island. He embraced his heritage a lot, and his belief in bad spirits was one of those aspects of his heritage.

They both walked into the curry restaurant. Dex was behind the counter, making the batch of curry that would be served to customers when they ordered it. Dingo seemed to not be inside the building, which meant that he was probably dumping garbage outside behind the building. Yahoot was probably in his office, doing who knows what.

"Hey, Dex!"  
"Lan! I didn't expect to see you here. Oh! You brought Megaman, too."  
"Yeah. We decided to stop by and let Yahoot and Dingo see Megaman."  
"Yahoot is in his office, and I just sent Dingo out to get some more spices. He should be back soon."  
"Oh…Did you tell him or Yahoot about Megaman?"  
"Not a word, Lan."  
"Thanks, Dex. Now, we can REALLY surprise them. Right, Megaman?"  
"Definitely, Lan. It is gonna be such a shock for them."

The three boys looked at each other and nodded. While they were there, Lan decided to order some of Dex's House Curry. He and Megaman took a seat at one of the tables. It was rather quiet inside the restaurant for this time of day. Normally, there would be at least 8 people inside, having dinner for the day. However, there was no one. The place was a barren.

"Hey, Dex. Why is it so quiet here today? I'd have thought you would have a lot of customers."  
"I was wondering that myself. It is strange."  
"Maybe your curry isn't very popular today."

Dex ignored the comment and served Lan his curry. The boy looked at the food put in front of him and smelled the heavenly aroma. Megaman got a whiff of the food, and his senses started to tingle. While the taste of curry didn't quite agree with his mouth, his nose certainly enjoyed the smell of it. Megaman, without knowing it, leaned forward and took another sniff of the meal. Lan looked at Megaman and just smiled.

"You know, you can have a bite of you want."  
"Hmmm…I guess one bite won't hurt. After all, Dex did make it."  
"Ha-ha. That is why you should eat it with caution, Megaman."

"I heard that, Lan!" Dex remarked, as he heard Lan's comment, who just snickered at the larger boy's reaction. Lan then turned back to his curry to find that Megaman had taken a small spoonful of the meal.

"Are you sure about that, Megaman? I hope you didn't forget what happened yesterday."  
"I figure I might as well have a little taste. One bite couldn't hurt, right?"

Lan simply nodded and watched as Megaman put the food into his mouth. The NetNavi closed his eyes and enjoyed the flavor. It was just as good as the Curry Rice that Mrs. Hikari had made the night before. He then opened his eyes and looked at Lan, who was still looking at him. They both looked at each other, waiting to see if Megaman would need any water to douse any feeling of spiciness.

"Everything ok, Megaman?" Lan broke the silence between them.

"Yeah. It isn't as spicy as the curry your mom made last night."  
"Well, that's good. Normally, the House Curry is supposed to be spicier than Curry Rice."  
"Maybe being able to handle the spiciness of the curry is an acquired taste?"  
"Maybe. I guess only time will tell."

Megaman only took one little bit of the House Curry, seeing that Lan ordered it, it was only right that he be the one to eat the rest. Lan, who was never good at restraint, decided to take advantage of the moment and started to eat his meal. While he was enjoying the food, Dingo walked into the restaurant, coming back from his errand of getting the spices that Dex needed for the curry. Dingo looked around the building and saw only Lan and Megaman, who he didn't notice as Megaman at first.

"Lan! When did you get here? And, who's the new guy?"

Lan and Megaman looked at each other. Now was the best time to spring the news on Dingo, and Tomahawkman was probably listening as well.

"Hey, Dingo. You don't recognize him?"  
"Not in the least."

"I don't either." Tomahawkman appeared on Dingo's shoulder, looking at the person they had never met before. Well, they thought they never met this person before. When in reality, they have known this person for several months.

"Well, I guess I have to tell you. It's Megaman."

Dingo and Tomahawkman looked at each other, wide-eyed. Those were some interesting words that just came out of Lan's mouth. Megaman, in the real world? Not possible. They both looked back at Lan and smiled.

"You gotta be kidding, Lan!"  
"Dingo's right. There is no way Megaman can be here!"

Megaman, after hearing the same comment from Maysa, was a little upset. He didn't understand why, but he was just upset. Actually, a little more than upset. He was actually…angry…for the first time in his life. Sure, he got a little upset during NetBattles. But this…this was actual anger.

Megaman slammed his hands on the table and stood up, shouting at Dingo and his NetNavi. "And, what makes you think I can't be here? What makes you think that I can't be in the human world? Answer me!"

This was a complete and utter shock to Lan, not to mention Dingo, Tomahawkman, and Dex, who also heard the yelling. Megaman was NEVER like this. He had never actually yelled at someone before, unless it was to get a positive point across to them. No…this wasn't to get a point across…this anger was because…well...Megaman couldn't describe it.

"…Megaman? Are you…ok?" Lan was reluctant to speak to his NetNavi. He had never seen Megaman get THIS angry before. Come to think of it, Lan had never seen Megaman angry at all.

"Woah…Did I just…yell in anger?" Megaman's demeanor changed back to its usual state. However, he was utterly shocked by what just happened. He actually YELLED in anger. He had never done that before. Dingo, Tomahawkman, and Dex all looked at Megaman, still in shock. Dingo and Tomahawkman realized that Megaman responded to Lan calling him by his name, therefore proving their theory incorrect. However, they were still shocked at what just happened.

"Lan…let's go…" Megaman left his seat quickly and went out the front door. Lan finally snapped out of his shocked state of mind and looked at Dingo, Tomahawkman, and Dex. The three were all looking at Lan for some kind of explanation as to what just happened.

However, he couldn't give them on, and soon left, trailing behind Megaman.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Megaman wasted no time in getting back home. There were so many emotions and thoughts running through his mind that he needed to get somewhere to comprehend what had just happened at #1 Curry. Did he actually yell at Dingo and Tomahawkman? And, on top of that, was it really in anger? There were so many thoughts in his mind that he wasn't paying attention to what was going on around him. This was evident when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He instinctively turned around to see Lan standing behind him, with a painfully obvious look of worry in both his face and eyes.

"Lan…"  
"Megaman...what happened back there?"  
"I…I…I don't know, Lan. It was like I just…snapped…"

This had never happened to Megaman before. It was so sudden and, because of the fact that he might have hurt Dingo and Tomahawkman's feelings, he didn't feel like himself. Tears were starting to form under his eyes. Him actually yelling at his friends made him feel extremely hurt inside. He couldn't even imagine how the two he yelled at must be feeling right now. Lan took one of his fingers and wiped the tears away from Megaman's eyes, while placing his other hand on Megaman's shoulder.

"Megaman…don't worry about it too much. I'm sure tomorrow we can go back and apologize."  
"What do you mean by 'we'? I was the one that yelled at them, not you, Lan."  
"Hey, I try to blame you for stuff only I am responsible for. It's only fair that I take some of the blame this time around."

Megaman started to feel a little better inside. Lan's words were what he needed to hear right now. They were very reassuring to him, and he appreciated what Lan was doing for him right now. He actually smiled at Lan, knowing that the boy would always have his back if anything happened to him. Without another thought, Megaman leaned forward and gave Lan a hug. At the moment, he didn't know what else to do.

"Come on, Megaman. Let's go inside. I'm sure dinner is almost ready."  
"You're right, Lan. It's only been 10 minutes since you last ate something."

They both looked at each other and laughed. True enough, Lan was the NetBattler with the bottomless stomach. This fact of nature was proven as a fact when he was on his world trip after becoming the Runner-up in the first N1 Grand Prix. It happened in Namaste, during what was called the "Namaste Curry Tour of Terror," which was just a plot by Yahoot to defeat Lan and Megaman.

The two of them walked inside to see Lan's mom in the kitchen. It looked like she was cooking up dinner for Lan and Megaman when they got home.

"Mom, we're home!"  
"Oh, welcome home, you two. Dinner will be ready soon."  
"Great, Mom. I'm starving!"

Megaman laughed inward. Once again, Lan was overly exaggerating the situation. However, even in the light atmosphere, his mind was still on what happened back at #1 Curry. He was worried that this might be some kind of malfunction. He wasn't really programmed to feel anger, unless it was in an extreme circumstance. And, to him, having his friends refuse to believe it was actually him in the real world wasn't that big of a deal to him. Such a fact is a hard piece of information to swallow.

"Megaman, would you like to join us tonight? I made sure to make you some delicious salads."  
"Ohh…thanks Mom. I guess I could."  
"That's great, Megaman. Come and have a seat. The salads are already prepared."  
"Thanks."

Megaman took a seat next to Lan. This way, if anything happened while they were eating dinner, such as Megaman getting angry again, Lan could easily deal with the situation, rather than having to each across the table. Like always, Mrs. Hikari sat at one of the heads of the table.

"Mmmm…this salad is delicious. Just like last night. Thanks, Mom."  
"No trouble at all, Megaman. Go ahead and have some more. I made plenty."

Megaman smiled and took some more of the salad onto his plate. He was eating a slow pace…well…slow when compared to how Lan was eating. Lan's plate was nearly empty…for the second time that evening. However, he was slowing down in his eating, as it was starting to get full.

"By the way, Lan. Your father will be home for your birthday tomorrow. So, you won't be disappointed by him getting caught up with his work."  
"That's great, Mom. I can't wait for tomorrow."

Megaman suddenly released something…He had completely forgotten tomorrow was Lan's birthday! This realization made him start to blush a little, not to mention change his facial expression. Had he remembered, he might have asked Mrs. Hikari for some money to go out and buy Lan a present. But now, it might be too late.

Realizing that he was still at the table with Lan and Mrs. Hikari, Megaman tried his best to hide his embarrassment of forgetting his best friend's birthday. He attempted to control the blush that was appearing across his face, which did help a little. Lan and Mrs. Hikari didn't notice it.

'I can't believe I didn't remember. Now, what am I going to do?'

~~!~~  
~~!~~

It was almost 9:30 pm. Lan, Megaman, and Mrs. Hikari were all in the living room watching the evening news on the TV. There were a few news reports about recent virus outbreaks on the Net, but the Net Police had taken care of them. There were also a few reports about solo NetNavis attacking other NetNavis in Net City. Lan and Megaman could only assume that those solo NetNavis were from the UnderNet Mafia.

"Oh, Megaman. Where will you be sleeping tonight?"  
"I'll probably go back to my PET, Mom."  
"Nonsense. I can pull out a mattress for you to sleep on."  
"Nah, it's ok. I've been out of my PET all day, and it would be good to go back in."  
"Are you sure, Megaman? It won't be any trouble at all."  
"I'm sure."

Lan looked at Megaman with a slightly puzzled look on his face. He figured that he and Megaman might sleep in his room tonight. But, he did realize why Megaman wanted to go back to his PET for the night.

"Oh, I see, Megaman. You haven't seen Roll, Gutsman, or anyone else today."  
"Yeah, I'll probably go and say hi to them before I go to sleep for the night."

"Lan, while tomorrow is your birthday, that doesn't mean you can be late for school. It's time for bed." Mrs. Hikari gave Lan her usual bedtime reminder. Lan, like always, said goodnight to his mother, and went upstairs. Megaman followed behind.

"Oh, Lan. I forgot to give this to you." Megaman took Lan's PET out of his pocket and handed it to Lan. Dr. Hikari and the other SciLab scientists figured out that the NetLine didn't have a minimum range and, therefore, Megaman could actually carry the PET, without anything happening to him.

"Thanks, Megaman. I guess I'll see you in the morning. Good night."  
"Good night, Lan."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

**_This chapter took a bit of time as well! Wow!_**


	9. Chapter 9: 12 Years of Lan

Chapter 9 – 12 Years of Lan

A ringing came from Lan's PET. It was a rather familiar ringing. It normally rang like this when Megaman was trying to wake Lan up. First, Megaman would try to make it sound like Lan had a call on his PET, hoping that he would answer it. But, Lan knew that trick by now, and Megaman knew that.

Five minutes later, the PET started to ring again. This time, Lan turned around in his bed, and actually talked to the device, still half-asleep and with his eyes closed. "Megaman…that doesn't work…on me anymore. Cut it…out." Lan soon after his statement yawned and attempted to fall back asleep. He didn't think anything of it that Megaman didn't respond back to him. Maybe his NetNavi was trying some different kind of approach to wake him up?

Another five minutes passed, and the PET rang once again. Now, Lan was upset. If this was a new way for Megaman to wake him up, it was starting to become effective, as Lan opened his eyes. He looked over at the PET, groaned, and finally sat up. He sluggishly walked over to the device, clearly unhappy that Megaman had woken him from his sleep. He reached his hand out and grabbed the device. To his surprised, he discovered that he actually had a call. But, where was Megaman? Wouldn't he have said something?

Lan pushed a button on the PET and it connected to the other end of the call. "Hello?" Lan's statement was greeting with a picture of his father, who was still at SciLab.

"Lan. Good, you're awake. I was hoping to catch while you were out of bed."  
"Oh, hi Dad. Actually, I just woke up."  
"Ha-ha. That's definitely you, Lan."  
"I guess…"  
"I wanted to get in touch with you to tell you two things, Lan."  
"Huh? What's that, Dad?"

"Well, first, Happy Birthday, son." Dr. Hikari's words brought about a very slight blush across Lan's face. He couldn't remember the last time his father was around to wish him a happy birthday. It must have been years since the last time his Dad was able to wish him a Happy birthday face-to-face…or as close as it gets right now.

"Thanks, Dad. So, you'll be home tonight?"  
"I will, Lan. I made sure arrangements were set. I should be home around 7:00 pm."  
"Awesome. Oh, what was the second thing you needed to tell me?"  
"Right…I need you and Megaman to come down to SciLab after school. I discovered something that both of you need to know."  
"Really? Is it serious?"  
"It can be serious if it not kept in check. I'll explain it all when you two are here."  
"Alright, we'll be down there. Thanks, dad."  
"You're welcome, Lan."

Lan set the PET down on his deck and tilted his head up, looking at the ceiling of his room, contemplating what his father wants him and Megaman at SciLab for. He hoped it wasn't something bad. He was hoping that it wasn't too serious that the M-Program had to be removed from Megaman. He was hoping that Megaman…

"!" Lan suddenly realized that Megaman wasn't in the PET. 'If Dad was the one who was calling…then where is Megaman?' Lan looked around his room, hoping to find some sign that his NetNavi was somewhere to be found. As Lan looked at his bed, he found a rather large lump on it. He knew his covers weren't like that when he got up to answer the phone. It took him a minute, but he processed the information and put two and two together. Lan walked over to his bed and pulled the covers back to reveal Megaman under the sheets.

Megaman was wearing his usual human world attire; green shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of white socks on his feet. Lan started to wonder how Megaman got there. He remembered that Megaman went back to his PET last night to sleep, and maybe see Roll and the others. Lan figured that he would have stayed in the device for the entire night and woke him up in the morning.

'He can't stay away from me." Lan chuckled inside at his own remark as he walked over to the bed. He poked Megaman a few time to see if that would wake him up. It didn't. He then shook Megaman a few times to see if that would work. It gained a small groan from the boy as he turned around.

"Hey, Megaman. Wake up."  
"..." Megaman didn't say anything.  
"Come on, wake up, Megaman."  
"..." Still no response.  
"Ok…let's try something else. MEGAMAN! Roll is about to be deleted!"

Megaman heard Lan's words as he shot his eyes open and sprung out of bed. He was awake and ready to fight for Roll's life. However, he realized only a few seconds later that he was in Lan's room and saw the boy trying his hardest to hold back a laugh. Megaman's face quickly changed for worried to anger. The feeling of laughter that Lan was holding back suddenly diminished as he saw the change in Megaman's face.

"Megaman…sorry for such a…"  
"Lan! That was a cruel thing to do!" Megaman's voice was half-shouting.  
"Megaman…I…"  
"No, Lan. No excuses!"

'This isn't like Megaman. First yesterday, and now today. He never yells like this,' Lan thought to himself. It was yet another shock that his friend was acting like this…not to mention that Megaman just blew up at him. Lan could feel tears starting to form under his eyes.

"Megaman…"

The NetNavi's demeanor quickly changed back and he realized what he had just done, along with the end result. He looked at Lan with sorrowful eyes. He himself was also on the verge of tears. He had never yelled at Lan like that before, and it hurt him on the inside now that he had.

"Lan…I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to…"  
"No, Megaman. You're right. I shouldn't have done that."  
"No, Lan. I needed to wake up. I shouldn't have yelled."  
"Don't worry about it."

Megaman looked at Lan, who was trying to wipe the tears from his eyes. When he finished, he noticed Lan's eyes were not so much in shock anymore, but very somber. He could tell that the boy was extremely hurt on the inside by what happened.

"I'm going downstairs for breakfast…I don't want to be late today."  
"…Alright, Lan."

Lan walked past Megaman, looking at the door with the same somber eyes that Megaman had taken notice of. He still couldn't believe that he yelled at Lan. It was just something that he had never done before. He couldn't even imagine how Lan was feeling right now. It was obvious that he was either still in shock at what happened, or he, too, was now angry or upset at Megaman for what happened.

He tried his best not to think about it, and he went into the bathroom to take a quick shower before heading downstairs to join Lan and Mrs. Hikari for breakfast. He walked down the hallway and into the bathroom, still wearing his clothing. The Navi closed and locked the door behind him and started to draw the water for the shower. He remembered how Lan did it, so it wasn't hard to get everything ready. He put his hand into the running water to test the temperature. 'It's just right.'

The Navi removed his clothing and stepped inside, letting the hint of heat that the water gave off soothe him. He was still in shock after yelling at Lan. It was the second time he had experienced an actual situation in which he got angry at someone or something. Before yesterday, he had never experienced angry in his life. Granted, he was only "alive" for a little less than two years, but they were a long two years.

Megaman's mind was racing with all kinds of thoughts. 'What is happening to me? Why am I getting angry like that? How could I blow up at Lan like that? Will Dingo and Tomahawkman still want to even talk to me after what happened yesterday?' His mind just couldn't comprehend what had happened. It was as if something inside just snapped for the first time in his life, and it was just a horrific experience for him. He not only hurt himself when he yelled, but he also hurt the feelings of Dingo, Tomahawkman, and, most important of all, Lan.

Suddenly, he heard a soft voice through the bathroom door. "Megaman, are you going to be out soon? Breakfast is almost done. Lan has almost finished it all."

Mrs. Hikari's voice was what Megaman needed to hear at a time like this. Her voice was as soothing as the heat from the water impacting his skin. Her voice helped to ease his mind, helping him focus on more important things. Her voice was just an all around soothing aspect of her that he couldn't help but notice every time she talked.

"Yeah, I'll be out in a minute or two."  
"Alright. I'll make sure Lan leaves you some pancakes. We don't want you being hungry today."  
"Ok. Thanks, Mrs. Hika…I mean…Mom."  
"No problem at all, Megaman."

Instead of his thoughts being on what had happened yesterday and today, Megaman's thoughts shifted to how Mrs. Hikari had always told him to call her "Mom." He started to blush slightly, seeing as he seemed to forget about her always telling him that. He finished washing off the soap and shampoo, grabbed a towel, and dried himself off. His clothing wasn't really dirty. And, he just needed to wear them for about 20 minutes while he ate breakfast. He could find something else to wear and change after he was done eating.

He emerged from the bathroom to see Lan standing by the door. Their eyes locked on each other. Megaman's green eyes gave off a look of sorrow, while Lan's brown eyes still gave off a hint of somber in them. He could tell that Lan was still upset about what happened earlier. However, neither of them said a word. They just both looked at each other, and went on their way.

"Here you go, Megaman. I managed to get these 4 pancakes away from Lan before he inhaled them."  
"Thanks, Mom."  
"No problem, Megaman. Which syrup do you want? We have strawberry, blueberry, and maple."  
"Ummm…I'll try maple, I guess."  
"Ok, maple it is. Oh, here is a glass of milk. You're going to need something to wash it all down with."  
"Thanks."

Megaman looked at the flat pieces of food in front of him. He was hoping they tasted as good as the salads that he normally had. Curry wasn't all that bad for him anymore. He figured that the spices were an acquired taste, one that Lan seemed to have from birth. He drizzled some of the thick syrup onto the pancakes and took a small piece off of the one on top.

"Mmmm!" He loved it! It was yet another food that he enjoyed in the human world. The pancakes along were good, but combined with the flavor of the syrup, it made for something both sweet and filling. Perhaps…even a little too sweet for Megaman's taste, as he grabbed the glass of milk in front of him and downed the liquid.

"It's very sweet," Megaman said, as he finished about one-fourth of the glass of milk.  
"That is probably the syrup. It's very rich."  
"Yeah. I figured that out just now. Ha-ha."  
"Hehe. Go ahead and eat up, Megaman."

Megaman smiled at Mrs. Hikari and did as she told him to. He continued to eat the pancakes until only a little bit of syrup was left at the bottom of the place. Mrs. Hikari took the plate from the table and set it inside the sink, ready to get washed along with the rest of the dishes.

Lan soon came downstairs, fully dressed in his normally attire, and sat on the couch, watching a little bit of the morning news. Megaman briefly looked over at the boy, who seemed to have gotten into a little bit of a better mood since they last saw each other upstairs.

"Oh, Lan. Happy Birthday!" Mrs. Hikari had noticed that her son had come downstairs and walked into the living room.

"Thanks, Mom. I can't wait for Dad to get home later day."  
"I'm sure he will. He did say he made arrangements so that he could."  
"I just hope something doesn't happen."  
"I'm sure your father will be home. With his newest project being tested, I'm sure he'll want to be at home while the testing is being done."

The comment was obviously directed at Megaman, as well as the M-Program he carried within him. Normally, he might have taken a bit of offence to such a comment, but Megaman knew that Mrs. Hikari's comment was only in good nature. He finished what was left of the milk in his glass, set it in the sink, and walked into the living room. After what happened earlier that morning, Megaman didn't feel that he should sit next to Lan on the couch. Instead, he took a seat on the chair and tried his best not to make any eye contact with the boy.

They both sat quietly in the living room, most likely waiting for the other to speak up about the earlier incident. Neither of them seemed to be in a talkative mood. Mrs. Hikari was still in the kitchen, listening to the news reports and doing the dishes, not paying any attention to what the two boys were doing.

"Oh, Lan. Look at the time. You better get going so you aren't late for school."  
"Alright, Mom. I'll see you later."  
"Goodbye, Lan."

Lan quickly reached beside the couch and grabbed his backpack, which had his inline skate attachments on it. Megaman looked one last time at his NetOp, and his NetOp looked at him. Their eyes tried their hardest not to make contact with the other. However, it didn't take long for Lan to finally look away and head out the front door. He had left his PET in his bedroom, since he decided not to take Megaman with him to school.

"Megaman? You're not going with Lan today?"  
"Huh? Ohh…no. I have other plans."  
"Other plans?"

Megaman looked at Mrs. Hikari, his demeanor sincere. "Actually, I needed to talk to you."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Class, today is a special day for someone here!"

Ms. Mari made this announcement at the beginning of class. She normally said this on the day when someone had their birthday. Today, it was Lan's turn. Yai, Dex, and Maylu know it was. They had known for about 2 years now, Maylu and Dex more than Yai.

Lan was on-time, yet again, today. He heard Ms. Mari's announcement, and his face began to flush red. He couldn't help it. He actually didn't want Ms. Mari to make the announcement, as he wasn't exactly in the mood to have people who he barely talked to wish him a Happy Birthday. He already knew that Yai, Dex, and Maylu were going to wish him a Happy Birthday already, and he didn't want anyone else to. Hell, he wasn't even in the mood to have Megaman wish him a Happy Birthday.

Megaman…

"Everyone, it is Lan's 12th birthday today. Let's all make sure it is a good one!" Ms. Mari's demeanor was very cheerful. Although, everyone in the class knew she got like this when it was one of her student's birthdays. Lan heard a mess of "Happy Birthdays" from various students in the class, not including his three friends. He knew that they would tell him that after school was over.

Lan sank down into his seat. He always hated when his teacher would announce that it was his birthday. Sure, he liked it when people admired him. In fact, he loved it when he was praised for things. However, he didn't see turning another year older as something that needed to be recognized or praised by any means. He was, however, thankful that the announcement was short, as Ms. Mari resumed class like normal. However, Lan could not keep his mind of Megaman.

'What is happening to him?'

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"_Here you go, Megaman. 1,000 Zenny should be enough for what you want to get him."_

"_Thanks, Mom. I'll make sure I get him something that he would really enjoy, something that he would use a lot...like maybe an alarm clock. Hehe."_

"_Hehe. You always were the funny type, Megaman. But, as long as what you get him is from the heart, I am sure he will appreciate it for as long as he can hold onto it."_

"_I'll remember that. Thanks again, Mom."_

"_You're quite welcome, Megaman."_

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Megaman had forgotten all about Lan's birthday the night before. If he had remembered, he would have asked Mrs. Hikari for some money yesterday and gotten his gift for Lan right after all of SciLab's tests were done. However, it completely slipped his mind, and now he figured he had to find Lan the perfect gift. He didn't need to find the perfect gift just because it was for Lan. He wanted to find the perfect gift so that he can try to make amends after what happened that morning.

'I still can't believe I actually yelled at him. What is going on here?' Megaman just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with him, and he might have to have the M-Program removed from his NetNavi program. That would devastate Megaman, knowing that he couldn't see Lan anymore until whatever the problem was got fixed.

'No…I can't think like that. I have to keep a positive attitude about it.' Megaman tried to keep his thoughts from going down that path; the path where he would turn into a pessimist more than an optimist. He wanted to make sure that he kept his mind focused on the good that might come from him being in the human world. And, one of those things was being able to walk around, and carry the PET with him when Lan wasn't around…which came in handy, seeing that Lan left the PET at home, probably still upset over the argument him and Megaman had that morning. This gave Megaman the perfect opportunity to do some shopping so he can find Lan a present today.

The NetNavi came across a small shop in downtown DenTech City. It looked to be a kind of hobby shop. Megaman figured it would be the perfect place to find something for Lan. His hobbies were…well…he actually only had one hobby and that was NetBattling. Megaman hoped that the shop had something that might be of interest to Lan, and might help in during a NetBattle.

_-ring, ring, ring, ring.-_

The sound threw Megaman off, as he took the PET out of his pocket and pulled the viewscreen to his face, making sure an appropriate distance was kept. He looked over the device, seeing if he could spot a button that would activate the cell-phone feature so he could talk to the person on the other end. Then again, this was Lan's PET. Should he really answer Lan's phone? But, on the other hand, Megaman knew everyone that Lan knew. He contemplated his course of action for about a few seconds, and decided to answer. "Hello?"

"Hello? Lan? Is that you?" An image of Commissioner Keifer appeared on the screen. Both Lan and Megaman knew Chief Keifer as their boss. He was the commissioner of the Net Police in Japan, and his offices were in DenTech City. He was a bit of an older man, with a large bald spot on his head that ran from his forehead to just a little bit past the top of his head. He was also a little heavy-set.

"Ummm...Lan isn't here right now."  
"Then who am I speaking to?"  
"Megaman."  
"Megaman? Ohh. I understand. You must be materialized right now."  
"Ohh, I am, sir."  
"Well, it is good that you are out and about."  
"I couldn't agree more, sir."  
"However, I was a little concerned when you and Lan didn't show up at my office yesterday. Would you be able to explain why, Megaman?"  
"Well…we kind of got a little side-tracked. And…something happened that needed time to cool off."  
"What would that be, Megaman?"  
"Well…I got really angry and yelled and Dingo and Tomahawkman. And…up until that point, I have never been that angry and anyone before. Actually, I don't think I have ever been angry period up until that point."  
"Hmmm…I guess it was a good idea for you and Lan to not come here yesterday, then. Make sure you visit Dr. Hikari and see if he says anything about it."  
"I will. Thank you, sir."

The communication ended as Megaman entered the hobby shop in front of him. It had all kinds of different items for all kinds of different hobbies. He could see paint and canvases for those who liked to paint, model airplanes, a small section devoted to a popular trading card game, and an even smaller section devoted to NetBattling. This section caught Megaman's eye. He walked over to the row of shelves and examined the merchandise. There were various items on display; NetNavi Customizer programs, accessory chips, a small assortment of BattleChips, and a program to create NetNavis. Megaman knew what that last program was. It was for people who were very well-versed in programming, and that specific piece of software helped the user to create simple NetNavi programs. There was a more advanced version of the software, but it was only available through the manufacturer.

"Hello there! How can I help you today?" A gentleman had walked up behind Megaman, without him even noticing. He was apparently an employee at the store, as he was wearing a nametag and a uniform. Megaman probably figured he was a salesman and was trying to get him to buy something from the shop

"Oh. Hello."  
"Are you looking for anything in particular?"  
"Well, my friend's birthday is today, and I need to buy something for him."  
"Then look no further! I'm sure we've got whatever your friend wants."  
"You do?"  
"Of course! And, this section right here has it!"

The salesman was talking about the NetBattler section that had caught Megaman's attention. Like any good salesman, he took noticed of Megaman's interest in the display, and decided that it was right time to pressure him to buy something, preferably the most expensive item.

"Well, Lan is into NetBa…"  
"I know EXACTLY what your friend is looking for. Take a look at this beauty! It's the latest in NetNavi Customizer programs! With this new version, he will have even more options in customizing his NetNavi."  
"Ummm…I guess that can be good. But, I was thinking more alo…"  
"It's not just 'good.' It's 'GREAT!' The options this version gives can make his NetNavi even more powerful than it probably already is."

This wasn't good at all. Megaman was caught in the middle of one fast-talking salesman. If he didn't think of a way to get away from him and out of the store, there would be no way he would be able to find something for Lan. Megaman tried to tune the salesman out for a moment. During that time, he took notice that one of the BattleChip slots was empty. He quickly glanced at it to find out that it was a slot holder for Meteor12 BattleChips. He quickly thought of a plan to get out of the store.

"Hey, I noticed that you don't have any Meteor12 BattleChips out here."  
"Meteor12? Ha-ha. I'm sure your friend isn't interested in those. A fully customized NetNavi is what all the top NetBattlers are doing these days."  
"Well, that may be true, but if you had 5 Meteor12 BattleChips, I would buy them for sure."

The salesman thought about Megaman's proposal. He figured that selling 5 of the Meteor12 BattleChips would be a bigger sale than selling the latest version of the NetNavi Customizer. He grinned inward at the thought. Now, he had Megaman right where he wanted him.

"Meteor12, you say? I'll check the backroom to see if we have anymore!"  
"Thanks. I really appreciate it."  
"I'll be right back, sir!"

The man dashed to the back of the store, where he went through a door and into the stockroom. He figured that his customer wasn't a really informed consumer, and he was going to get a lot of money out of him. The man looked through various boxes and found the BattleChip Display box. He opened it up and grabbed 5 Meteor12 BattleChips. Making sure he didn't keep his gullible customer waiting, the man left the stockroom and headed for the NetBattle display. Upon arriving, he found that his customer wasn't near the display. He looked around the store in an effort to find his latest customer, but to no avail.

'Now, where did that kid go?'

~~!~~  
~~!~~

'Glad that is over with. It was a bad idea going there.' Megaman agreed with himself. That hobby shop was a bad idea. At first, it seemed like a good one. However, the salesman that came to help him decided on what to get was way too pushy, and Megaman knew that he wouldn't be able to deal with him. So, instead of trying to deal with it, he tricked the man to go into the stockroom while he got away. It worked like a charm.

He continued to walk down the sidewalk of DenTech City, looking to see if there was a place that he could find something for Lan. Time was starting to run out, as Lan would be out of school for the weekend in about 2 hours. 'Maybe a gift voucher for #1 Curry? I know Lan loves that place, especially now that Dex is the one making the curry.' Megaman figured that he found the perfect gift for Lan…until he remembered he couldn't go in there for a little while. After yelling at Dingo and Tomahawkman yesterday, Megaman was sure that they wouldn't welcome him with open arms unless Lan was there with him.

Megaman sighed as two of his choices were now out of the question. 'Hey! I'm sure I can find some BattleChips for Lan at Higsby's! He probably has some that even Lan doesn't have yet." Megaman began to feel proud of himself, knowing that he now knew the right place to go to get Lan his birthday present. He started to run down the sidewalk so he could get to Higsby's Chip Shop in time before he went to DenTech Academy to wait for Lan.

As he was running down the sidewalk, he noticed a woman in a black trench coat. She seemed to look familiar to him, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it. As he ran past her, he caught a glimpse of her face. She had purple lipstick on and was wearing black sunglasses. Now he remembered. It was Ms. Yuri, Ms. Mari's sister. He decided it wouldn't hurt to say hello.

"Hey, Ms. Yuri."  
"Do I know you, kid?"  
"It's Megaman."

Ms. Yuri looked at him perplexed. She then spoke up. "You can't fool me that easily, kid. There's no Dimensional Area here, and I am sure that Lan Hikari wouldn't be using an illegal Copyroid."

"But…I am Megaman. I can prove it"  
"Then, by all means kid, go ahead."

Megaman didn't want to go back to the Cyberworld with all of the people walking around. It would have made for a very bad incident, and he wanted to avoid that. So, to make things simpler for him and Ms. Yuri, he decided to pull the PET out of his pocket and show it to Ms. Yuri. She looked at the device, and noticed that it had Megaman's Navi symbol on it. She started to believe him, but she still didn't know how.

"So tell me. How are you here?"  
"It's because of a program that Dr. Hikari created."  
"A program, you say?"  
"Yeah. He calls it the M-Program. It allows NetNavis to materialize in the real world, without Copyroids or Dimensional Areas."  
"How interesting. And, just how did Dr. Hikari come about making this?"  
"I think I remember him saying that he and the other scientists at SciLab found fragments of Shademan's data on the net. When he used the first Rush SynchroChip, data was added to his NetNavi program. Dr. Hikari found that data, wrote it into a program, and came up with the M-Program."  
"And you, being the NetNavi of his son, were the first test."  
"Actually, it was Chaud and Protoman. However…it didn't turn out well."

After the conversation, Ms. Yuri looked around the immediate area. If Megaman was in the real world, then where was Lan? To her, it was strange that Megaman was in the place that Lan was not.

"Where is Lan? Isn't he always with you?"  
"Ummm…well…we kinda had a fight. He's at school right now."  
"And, why are you out and about in the city?"  
"Well, his birthday is today, and I haven't gotten him a present."  
"He's at school, you say? I was actually heading there myself."  
"Really? To DenTech Academy?"  
"Yeah. Now that Nebula is gone and Duo defeated, I need to make some money. So, I am studying to be a teacher like my sister. I was invited by her to attend a meeting she is going to after school today."  
"That's great! I'm glad you are doing better."  
"You always were the nice type, Megaman. Just do me a favor, and keep watching Lan's back. Something big is going to happen, and I want you and him to stay alive."  
"Huh? What is going to happen?"

Ms. Yuri only chuckled softly to herself and went on her way. Megaman was completely confused as to what she was talking about. But, he did have a few ideas. 'Could she be talking about the UnderNet Mafia? Hmmm…she knows something. I guess I better do what she said and keep my eyes open.'

Megaman continued on his way until he was standing in front of Higsby's Chip Shop. Although Ms. Yuri's warning had shaken Megaman a bit, he still was focused on getting Lan his birthday present. He walked through the door to find Shuuko behind the counter. He didn't see Higsby anywhere. Megaman figured that Higsby was somewhere in the back of the store, or was trying to express his love for Ms. Mari, although he never succeeds in doing that.

"Hello, sir. May I help you?"  
"Hi. I'm looking for a BattleChip for my friend."  
"Well, then you came to the right place."

Megaman wasn't sure if he should tell Shuuko that he was Megaman or not. He wasn't sure how she would take to the news. After all, being a NetNavi and walking around in the human world wasn't something a person should brag about. And, to top it off, with the UnderNet Mafia out and about, they don't need to know what Megaman looked like outside of the PET. Or else, he might be in for some serious trouble. But, this wasn't some UnderNet Mafia operative. This was Shuuko, one of his friends.

"Is there any specific BattleChip your friend is looking for?"

Megaman had to think about this for a moment. He knew Lan had a very extensive BattleChip arsenal. He wasn't sure if there was a BattleChip that Higsby's sold that Lan didn't already have. And, if there was one that Lan didn't have, it probably was one of the more expensive ones that Megaman didn't have the money to buy at the moment.

"Well, what do you have that I can buy for under 1,000 Zenny?"  
"1,000 Zenny? You can check our bargain bin over there. I'm sure will find something there."  
"Thanks, Shuuko."

Megaman didn't realize it until he had said it. 'Oh, no. I called her by name. Now, she is going to want to know how I knew…"

However, he was in luck. Shuuko didn't seem to notice that Megaman had called her by name. She just looked forward, and eventually bent down to arrange some of the BattleChips that were displayed in a case below the counter. He was relieved that she didn't take noticed, and started to browse the Bargain Bin. He saw a lot of different BattleChips, from MiniBoomers and CyberSwords, to Cannons and Shotguns. Megaman was a little disappointed, because he knew that Lan had all of those. He knew that he wasn't going to find anything Lan could use here, because Lan already had this stuff. Megaman finally pulled his attention away from the Bargain Bin and decided it was time to leave. Before he could make his way to the door, Shuuko saw him.

"You didn't find what you were looking for?"  
"Oh…not really. The Bargain Bin didn't have what I was looking for."  
"What were you looking for?"

Now, Megaman was in a bind. He had to think of something before Shuuko thought that he was stealing from the Chip Shop, which he wasn't. His mind started to race with buyable excuses so he could leave. Finally, he thought of a BattleChip that Chaud had, but not Lan.

"I was looking for Muramasa. I had hoped that you had one that wasn't sold for a long time, and might have been in the Bargain Bin."  
"Ohh…unfortunately, no. Mr. Higsby wouldn't put such a powerful chip in the Bargain Bin."  
"No problem. Thanks for your help."  
"Come back again."

Megaman proceeded out the door to the store and was back where he started; still no idea as to what to get Lan, still no idea where to get it, and still running out of time. TIME! Megaman took a look at the PET and found out that he only had 30 minutes before he needed to be at DenTech Academy to walk with Lan down to SciLab. Lan didn't tell Megaman that they should go there after school. However, luckily, Megaman took Chief Keifer's words to heart and decided that he would meet with Lan after school and walk to SciLab from there. So, for both of them, it worked out fine.

Megaman sighed, as he knew that wouldn't be able to find another store and buy something and then meet with Lan in time. With a heavy heart, he decided to give up his search for the day and head down to Lan's school. 'I guess I could look tomorrow while Lan is with his friends. I mean…a late birthday present is better than none, right?'

Megaman couldn't quite answer that question, but kept on his way.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Class, before we dismiss today, I want to introduce you to someone. She is very close to me, and she will be taking over the class for the next week."

The classroom was interested now that Ms. Mari had just made an announcement. They were not sure who this person was. Actually, it was a mix of interest and worry. They had never had someone else besides Ms. Mari teach them this year. Having someone else as their teacher worried the students. Lan, Maylu, Dex, and Yai were not sure who this person was either. However, they all knew this person well. They were all in for a real surprise.

"Everyone, I would like you to give a warm, 6th grade welcome, to Ms. Yuri, my twin sister."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH?"

That was Ms. Yuri's cue. She walked in from out in the hall and presented herself to her sister's students. She had since removed her trench coat and sunglasses, placing them in the Teacher's Lounge. She was now wearing a maroon colored t-shirt and black pants. Lan, Maylu, Dex, and Yai were the most surprised of them all. They hadn't seen Ms. Yuri since the Duo incident. Lan, however, was the most vocal about it. He stood up and blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, without even realizing it.

"Ms. Yuri? When did you get back here?"  
"There you are, Lan. I was wondering when I would see you. And, to answer your question, I got back a few days ago. Ms. Mari had called me."  
"And, you are going to be our substitute teacher?"  
"That's right. I am studying to be a full-time teacher, and this is the best way to get some experience."

Ms. Mari made sure that she kept the class under control. "Settle down, everyone. You can ask Ms. Yuri your questions after class." Ms. Mari made sure that her voice was commanding enough to get all of her students to stay in their seats until the bell rang.

_-bing, bing, bing, bing-_

"Well, everyone. Class is dismissed for the day. Make sure you do your weekend homework!"

The students all got up from their desks and stuffed their backpacks with various textbooks, worksheets, and other assorted school supplies. The weekend homework wasn't hard, but it did require a lot of looking through their textbooks and previous worksheets in order to complete.

Ms. Yuri was still at the front of the classroom. However, somehow, during the chaos of students leaving the classroom, she got Lan's attention. He noticed she was trying to, and he walked to the front of the classroom. He figured she probably wanted to talk about something, but he didn't know what and couldn't figure out what. However, he did approach the front of the classroom and talked with the former Nebula member.

"Did you want to talk to me?"  
"Yes, I did, Lan. I saw Megaman today while I was on my way here."  
"Really? …What was he doing?"  
"He was shopping for something, probably on an errand for your mother."

Although Ms. Yuri wasn't one to be sentimental, she did consider the fact that Megaman may not have wanted Lan to know that he was shopping for his birthday present. So, she decided to lie and say it was an errand that his mother sent him to do. They continued their conversation.

"That's strange. She would have done it herself normally."  
"In either case, make sure you keep his M-Program under wraps. You don't want the UnderNet Mafia knowing what he looks like in the human world."  
"Wait, did you just say the UnderNet Mafia?"  
"I did. They have plans to take care of Megaman in the real world, as well as you. Since they cannot defeat him effectively in the Cyberworld, their only other option is to get rid of him here."  
"How do you know all this, Ms. Yuri?"  
"Spikeman defeated an UnderNet Mafia NetNavi a few days ago. Before he was deleted, he spilled the beans on their plans. He must have been one of their lower ranked NetNavis, as he was very weak compared to Spikeman."  
"Maybe that explains the attack at SciLab two days ago."  
"So, they started their operations already. Just be careful, Lan. I don't want to see you or Megaman end up being nothing but tombstones in a graveyard."  
"Don't worry about us. We've beaten a lot worse than those bozos before…no offence, Ms. Yuri."  
"None taken. Now, head on home."

Lan smiled at Ms. Yuri, who returned the smile, and then left the classroom. 'Oh, great. I should have taken Megaman with me to school today. Now, I have to go back home and get him.' Lan remembered that he left Megaman at home, and his father wanted them both at SciLab right after school. Now, instead of being late to school today, he is going to be late to seeing his Dad.

However, he wouldn't have to walk all the way back home. As Lan left the front doors of the school and entered the courtyard, he spotted Megaman leaning against one of the left pillar that the school gate was attached to. 'Why is he here? Shouldn't he be at home?' Lan couldn't answer the question in his mind. However, Megaman would probably have the answer he was looking for.

Lan approached his NetNavi, who had taken notice of his NetOp's presence. They both looked at each other square in the eye. Megaman still had a sorrowful feeling about yelling at Lan earlier that day. Lan still had a feeling of hurt after the same incident. Neither of them were smiling at each other.

"What are you doing here, Megaman?"  
"I got a call from Chief Keifer. He was wondering why we didn't show up at his office yesterday."  
"Oh, man! I totally forgot about that!"  
"Don't worry, Lan. I settled things with him. He's not mad. I told him about what I did, and he suggested that I go and see your father at SciLab today."  
"Oh, yeah. I should have told you that I got a call from Dad this morning. He said for you to go down to SciLab as well."  
"Well…I understand that you didn't have time this morning…"  
"Yeah…this morning wasn't the best."

Megaman simply nodded in agreement with Lan, and the two starting walking in the direction of SciLab. They both knew that when Dr. Hikari would call them both down to SciLab, it was either really good news or really bad news. In the last few days, it has been a mix of both. Neither of them knew what to expect when they arrived at SciLab. And, neither of them talked to each other the whole way there.

That was about to change.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"I'm glad you two came here. I discovered something in Megaman's data that you should know."

Dr. Hikari ushered the two boys past the Lobby doors and into the interior of SciLab. They were on their way to the room where Dr. Hikari and the other scientists examined Megaman the day before. The room itself was only a few doors down from the double-doors that went to the SciLab Lobby. Both Megaman and Lan still did not say a word to each other. Dr. Hikari did take note of this, but thought that they were just being quiet. However, Lan broke the silence.

"What did you find?"  
"Apparently, new data was entered into his NetNavi program. We weren't sure exactly what it was at first, but I stood here last night and figured it out."  
"And, what was it?"

Dr. Hikari looked at the two boys walking behind him. They entered the room, and he turned all his attention to Megaman.

"Megaman…have you been feeling strange lately?"  
"Huh? What do you mean by 'strange'?"  
"I mean, have you been doing things that you normally don't do?"  
"Well…yesterday and today…I got really angry and yelled at people."  
"Hmmm…That's what I feared."  
"What? Is something seriously wrong with me?"  
"Actually, I would have to say that something is seriously right with you. However, how 'right' this is depends on how you control it."

Now, the two boys looked at Dr. Hikari with puzzled looks on their faces. He did like to talk in riddles a lot, and that confused the hell out of both of them. But, the upside is that Megaman would eventually figure out what Dr. Hikari was talking about, and then explain it to Lan later on. However, this time, he didn't understand a single bit about what was going on, and that bugged him a lot. Finally Lan broke the silence.

"What do you mean 'how he controls it'? Is it something serious?"  
"It can be. Allow me to explain."

Both Lan and Megaman were now giving Dr. Hikari their undivided attention.

"Well, to start, when we were examining Megaman's data yesterday, we didn't discover anything abnormal in his systems." Dr. Hikari's expression was indifferent at the time. However, he continued on. "We did discover the range of the NetLine, which was a definite plus. However, after everyone else had left and only I was here, I decided to look further into the scan results. While searching through the results, I noticed that they picked up additional data in Megaman's Navi program."

Lan and Megaman still had perplexed looks on their faces. However, Megaman was starting to see where Dr. Hikari was going with this speech.

"It appeared that, since Megaman has entered the real world, he is now experiencing 'real world emotions.' Basically, instead of his normal, pre-programmed emotions he would display while in the net, he can now display other emotions that were not in his original programming."

The two boys looked at each other as the truth finally dawned on them both. Although both of them figured out where Dr. Hikari was going with this explanation, Megaman was the one who would speak what was on his mind, which ended up being right.

"So that explains why I got angry at Dingo and Tomahawkman yesterday."  
"This 'Emotion data' as I am calling it, may be the cause of that, yes. Hey, wait a minute. You said that you got angry today as well. Who was that with?"

Megaman and Lan looked at each other. Dr. Hikari took note of this, and he was able to figure it out on his own, without either of the two boys explaining it to him. He looked at both of them and smiled. Megaman looked back at him with a worried expression on his face.

"Dr. Hikari…is there a way for me to control this anger?"  
"That's something you will have to figure out on your own. Each person has to keep their own emotions in check their own way. No two people keep their emotions in check the same way. It's something you will have to learn on your own."

Megaman was a little disappointed in Dr. Hikari's answer. He was hoping it was just something that could be removed from him or turned off while he was in the human world. However, it didn't turn out to be that easy. Now, instead of having to just worry about yelling at people randomly, now he had to worry about how to NOT yell at people randomly.

Dr. Hikari walked out of the room and went to another part of the building, getting everything ready so that he could go home for his son's birthday. Megaman and Lan just stood in front of the other and looked at each other. Lan finally knew why Megaman acted like he did. It was just something that he couldn't keep in check at the time, and Lan found that to just be an error. It was just something to be forgiven and forgotten.

Megaman, on the other hand, didn't think it was something that could just be forgiven and forgotten. He still felt a little bad about yelling at his best friend. He knew he would feel like Lan did if Roll, Gutsman, or even Glide or Iceman yelled at him the way that he yelled at Lan.

"Lan…I know I said this before, but I'm so…"  
"Megaman, you don't need to say it. It wasn't your fault."  
"But, it was, Lan. I was the one who yelled at you. I shouldn't have done that."  
"The thing is…you weren't yourself. And, I understand that."

With those words, Lan went up to Megaman and wrapped his arms around the NetNavi, putting him a light embrace. Megaman was taken aback slightly by the sudden change in demeanor, but decided to hug the boy back, seeing that it might prove to be the best way to apologize for his behavior that morning.

The hug lasted for about 7 seconds, as Dr. Hikari returned to the room Megaman and Lan were in. He seemed to be in a little bit of a rush, as though he had forgotten something inside the room, or there was some type of emergency that needed their attention. However, it couldn't have been an emergency, as he didn't have a worried look on his face.

"You two better hurry. We don't want to be late getting home."  
"That's right. Maylu and the others are coming over for the party. Yeah. We better hurry!"

Lan was obviously excited. Though, he normally did get excited when he was going to a party of any kind. And, as long as there was food to eat, he didn't care who was there. But now, Megaman was feeling really horrible. All of their friends were going to be there, and Megaman was probably going to be the only one who didn't bring Lan a present. Lan looked at him and saw his emotional state in his eyes.

"Are you ok, Megaman? You look a little down."  
"Oh…I'm fine. We better get going."

Right then and there, Megaman couldn't feel any worse than he did, even if he tried.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

**_Alright everyone! The votes are in, and it appears that the next romantic scene for Lan and Megaman is going to be...-drumroll-...Because it is Megaman's "present" to Lan! Thanks to all who voted (all 3 of you) and another poll will be up shortly. I should have Chapter 10 - "The Perfect Present" up in a day or two._**

**_Just a reminder: Any polls that are created can be found my profile page!_**


	10. Chapter 10: The Perfect Present

Chapter 10 – The Perfect Present

"Happy Birthday, Lan!"

All of Lan's friends, along with his mother and father, all said the same thing in unison. Lan, Megaman, and Dr. Hikari had just gotten home from SciLab after hearing the news that Megaman was more human than any of them realized. Now, a new challenge was put in front of Megaman; controlling his emotions, a task that he believed to be daunting.

"Thanks, everyone!" Lan was in a much better mood now that he and Megaman reconciled their morning argument. However, Megaman was still a little down. It was Lan's birthday, and it looked like he would be the only person who didn't bring Lan a present on his special day. That made Megaman feel like he let his best friend down.

"Alright, everyone. Dinner is ready. Come and help yourselves to some good home cooking."  
"Thanks, Mrs. Hikari!" The children at the party all said in unison.  
"You're quite welcome, everyone. Enjoy!"

Everyone went into the kitchen and grabbed a plate. Mrs. Hikari had setup the kitchen and food so that it was like a buffet-style setting. Everyone would grab a plate, start with a salad, and then move onto the meats and pasta. At the end, there were forks, spoons, chopsticks, and other utensils needed for eating. The birthday cake was cooling in the refrigerator, as Mrs. Hikari had just baked it that morning, and put the icing and decoration on not too long before everyone arrived for the party.

Some of the guests were sitting at the table and chatting with each other, while the rest took up seats in the living room and held their conversations there. Everyone had their PETs, as their NetNavis were talking with each other as well via their holograms. Megaman still wanted to talk with Dingo and Tomahawkman, seeing that they might still have hurt feelings about yesterday. He made sure that he and Lan got seats next to Dingo so that they could talk things over. Dingo, on the other hand, was too absorbed in the food to pay attention to who was sitting where.

"Hey, Dingo. How's it going?"  
"if iz gwing gwod."  
"What?"

Dingo swallowed the food he had in his mouth and spoke again. "It's going good. Your mom makes great food!"

"Hehe, that she does. Anyway. Megaman and I wanted to talk to you and Tomahawkman about yesterday."

Dingo looked at Lan, and then at Megaman, who was sitting next to Lan on the couch. He took another spoonful of his Curry Rice and spoke to the pair. However, the shocking thing about it was that when Dingo spoke to the pair, he did it in an oddly nice tone of voice.

"Don't worry about it, you two!"  
"But…I yelled at you and Tomahawkman yesterday. That's inexcusable."  
"Ha-ha! No worries, Megaman. We heard about it from Dr. Hikari."

Megaman and Lan both fell out of their seats. They had planned on using this time to apologize to Dingo and Tomahawkman for Megaman's outburst the day before. Unfortunately, it seemed that Dr. Hikari got to Dingo before the other two boys could. However, that did bring up a question: How did Dr. Hikari find the time to tell Dingo and Tomahawkman? It only took them a moment, but they returned to their original positions on the couch, all the while with Dingo laughing.

"When did he find time to tell you, Dingo?" Lan was the first to ask the question that was on his and Megaman's minds.

"He told me today. I went to SciLab before you got there."  
"So…you know about the new data that was added Megaman?"  
"I do. That is why I said it wasn't a big deal."

Dingo took another spoonful of his Curry Rice, making it his last, as his plate was now devoid of the food. He then started to work on the Baked Salmon, while simultaneously eating the 8-Veggie Salad he had taken a bowl of. Megaman and Lan just looked at each other. They didn't know whether this was a "forgive and forget" moment, or if they should have tried to apologize more to Dingo and Tomahawkman. They looked at Dingo again; his demeanor seemed to be very pleasant. It might have been because he was stuffing his mouth full of food, or that he accepted whatever miniscule apology they gave him. Either way, Megaman and Lan were happy that Dingo didn't have any hard feelings about the incident.

They gave each other a smile and continued eating their feasts. Lan had taken a large helping of the Curry Rice, some of the Baked Salmon, a small bowl of the 8-veggie salad, A few rolls of sushi, and a large glass of juice. Megaman, who didn't have much of an appetite that night, only took a bowl of the salad, 1 roll of sushi, a very small amount of the Curry Rice, and a small glass of juice.

"Not hungry tonight, Megaman?"  
"Oh…not really, Lan. I guess I don't feel much like eating right now."  
"If you're still worried about getting angry again, don't think about it. The more you think about it, the more likely it will happen."

Megaman couldn't tell Lan the truth. He wasn't worried at all about getting angry and yelling at someone. No. He was worried about what Lan would think of his best friend that didn't bring a single gift to his birthday party. There were numerous worries rushing through Megaman's mind. He was worried about what Lan would think of him. He was worried he would make a fool of himself being the only one without a present. He was worried about tomorrow, seeing as it was the day Miyu told them to be careful of. All of these worries, and he couldn't get rid of any of them. Getting angry was, no pun intended, the least of Megaman's worries.

Lan looked at his boyfriend sitting next to him, and noticed the expression on his face. Seeing that the boy knew he couldn't do anything to cheer Megaman up, he decided to continue eating his dinner. Spoonful by spoonful, he finished off the Curry Rice, and noticed that Megaman had done the same. The Navi wasn't reaching for any of the juice that was in front of him. Lan took this as Megaman no longer found the curry to be too spicy for his tastes, and smiled inward.

"Ok, everyone. When you are done eating, Lan can open his presents, and then we will play some games!" Mrs. Hikari attempted to sound as excited as possible, which seemed to have worked as it gain several positive comments from the group of children. They all lined up and placed their dirty dishing next to the sink in the kitchen, where Mrs. Hikari would washed them after everyone had left.

Lan's presents were stacked neatly next to the chair that his father was currently sitting in. He walked over to the chair with some excitement in his movement. His father moved out of the chair to let Lan sit down so that the presents were within easy reach. He peered down at the stack of colorfully wrapped packages, and smiled widely. Lan picked up the first package and read the tag.

"To: Lan. From: Maylu & Yai." He looked at the two girls and smiled. He then continued to read the writing. "Have a great 12th." He quickly started to open the package. It was rather small, considering it was a present from both Yai and Maylu. The first layer came off, and he could see the actual box. The rest of the wrapping paper was removed, and his eyes lit up at the site.

"Oh, wow! The newest Navi Customizer program! This is awesome! Thanks, you two!" The girls looked at Lan and smiled happily. This was something that he wanted for about a month. The newest version allowed for more versatile customization of programs for the user's NetNavi. Lan knew that with this, he would be able to make Megaman even more unbeatable, not to mention much stronger for when they had a NetSaver mission.

"Alright…the next one is from…Tory." Lan lifted the package up and examined it. It was another small package, like the one he got from Yai and Maylu. However, Lan knew by now that great things come in small packages. He started to undo the wrapping paper. The package was wrapped nicely, and it even had a ribbon that wrapped around it. Lan had taken the ribbon off as he continued to tear through the wrapping paper. He finally came to his goal.

"No way! A Meteor18 BattleChip! This is incredible! Thanks, Tory!"  
"I knew you would like that."  
"Like it? I'm loving it! This is going to come in handy during my NetBattles. And, combined with the new Navi Customizer, Megaman and I will be unbeatable!"

Megaman snickered at Lan's over-exaggeration. He couldn't stop the words that escaped his mouth. "You know, Lan. If you get too full of yourself, it will be your downfall. Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall'?"

"Hey! I didn't ask for your opinion!"  
"But, you got it anyway. Ha-ha."  
"Hehe. Always the first one to crack a joke, Megaman."

Everyone else decided to join in the laughter that ensued shortly after Lan's comment. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it helped to lighten the mood a bit, especially for Megaman. His worries that have been plaguing him since dinner seemed to have been put to ease a little thanks to the laughing fit that had just occurred. He watched as Lan set aside the box with the Meteor18 BattleChip and proceeded to grab the next gift from the pile next to him.

"Alright. This is from Dex and Dingo." Lan lifted the very small package up. He knew it wasn't a program or BattleChip. It was too thin to be either of them. He took the wrapping paper off, which looked like it was thrown on at the last minute, and revealed the item underneath.

"Ha-ha. I should have expected this. It's a gift card worth 2,000 Zenny, good for any food off of #1 Curry's menu. Well, I know where I am going for lunch tomorrow."  
"Well, Lan. Dingo and I…well…EVERYONE, know how much you love curry. So, we figured it would be a great present."  
"And, a great present it is, Dex. Thanks, guys."

Dex and Dingo looked at Lan and smiled. This definitely was a great day for Lan. He had just gotten three things that were awesome gifts for him. And, he still had more to come. Keeping that in mind, he picked up the next wrapped package. It was larger than the other two packages that he had opened. He figured that it was clothing, as it was large enough to hold a shirt and maybe some pants or shorts.

"To: Lan. From: Mom and Dad. Happy 12th, son." The boy smiled at his two parents and proceeded to open the package. He knew his mother was the one who wrapped it, since the package had 3 layers of wrapping paper on it, as well as his father was never good at wrapping gifts. He smiled inward at his father's inability to do something as simple as wrap a package, and yet be responsible for an entire complex dedicated to science. He continued to rip through the package until the box was exposed. Using his index finger, Lan was able to loosen the tape holding the lip on the box.

"Cool! I've need more of these!" Lan lifted the contents of the box up for everyone to see. Inside were 2 pairs of orange vests, similar to the one he normally wears, and 2 pairs of black shorts, also similar to the ones he normally wears. With all of the running around, doing NetSaver missions and anything else Lan happens to mistakenly get involved in, he had worn through a few of his pieces of clothing, and needed replacements.

"Thanks for the great stuff, everyone!" Lan didn't hide the excitement or appreciation in his voice. He looked around at those who gave him a present and smiled, further showing his appreciation for the time they had put into getting him the gifts he had received. Those who he smiled at returned the smiles back to him. He had looked at everyone; save Megaman. Megaman was attempting to avoid eye-contact with Lan. He was too ashamed to look at Lan, after showing up to his birthday party without a gift

"Alright, everyone. Let's head to the upstairs hallway and pick out some games. We have plenty to choose from!" Mrs. Hikari escorted Lan's friends upstairs. Lan and Megaman were still left downstairs. Megaman was still sitting on the couch, only this time, his head was hanging low. Lan took note of this and walked over to the Navi. He then took a seat on the couch next to Megaman, staring at the lonely-looking boy.

"Is everything alright, Megaman?"  
"Well…no. Everything is not ok."  
"Why? What's wrong?"  
"I was the only person here who didn't get you anything."  
"That's no problem, Megaman. You don't have to beat yourself up over it."  
"But, Lan, I let you down. I should have gotten you something."

Lan looked over Megaman. He could see that the Navi was upset over this. It was Megaman's first time in the real world when Lan had a birthday, and he didn't really have any type of gift. Lan simply smiled and threw his arms around Megaman in a light embrace. Megaman, who was still upset over the situation, was a little surprised by the sudden contact, but hugged back.

"Megaman…you being here in the real world is present enough for me."  
"Lan…"

The two continued to hold onto each other until they heard the footsteps of their friends coming down the stairs. They wanted to hold this position badly, but were forced to let go as to not raise suspicion about their secret relationship. But, on the plus side, even though he was sad at the loss of contact, Megaman was still able to give Lan a smile. He was happy that Lan wasn't upset that the Navi didn't get him a present.

Lan's friends had picked out a variety of games for everyone to play. Dex grabbed NetBattles: The Board Game, Yai was holding a Chinese Checkers board, Maylu had a plain deck of poker cards, Tory was holding Holographic Battleship, and Dingo had taken a liking to Twister. Mrs. Hikari didn't have a game, and neither did Dr. Hikari. However, Mrs. Hikari did give the go ahead for the games to begin.

"Ok, everyone. Which game should we play first?"

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Good night, Mrs. Hikari. Thanks for inviting us over!"

It was 9:00 pm at night, and the children were leaving to head on home. They all said their goodbyes to each other, and thanked Mrs. Hikari for the wonderful food and games. Lan and Megaman were a little sad to see them leave, as they had a great time that night. However, their friends needed to get back home so that they can start on the weekend homework assignment that Ms. Mari had assigned.

Dr. Hikari finally got to sit in the chair that Lan had occupied for the majority of the night. It normally was "his" chair, but it was used by the family as the "birthday chair" for when it was someone's special day. Today happened to be Lan's. And so, he was given the opportunity to sit in it for the duration of the party.

Maylu was the last one to leave that night. She was standing by the door, prepared to leave and head to her house, which was only a few houses down from Lan's. Her eyes stared and Lan's eyes as she gave him a goodbye hug. Megaman saw this and, even though he didn't want to admit it, had gotten a little jealous. But, he realized it was just a hug between good friends, and brushed off his jealousy.

"Oh, thank you, Megaman."  
"No problem, Mom."

Megaman had made his way into the kitchen and was assisting Mrs. Hikari with the dishes left over from dinner. They were several plates, bowls, drinking cups, and a variety of silver wear. However, most of the dishes were the items that Mrs. Hikari had used in order to cook the food that was served that night. All types of skillets, cooking pots, and frying pans were in the sink, all needing to be washed before they could be put away.

Lan took a seat in the living room and turned on the TV. His father had picked up the newspaper and was reading several articles about recent events. Lan was simply flipping through the channels to see if anything caught his eye. He came upon the DNN (DenTech News Network) channel, and saw Ribitta sitting in a news anchor chair. He decided he could watch the news a little bit before turning something else on.

"Good evening, everyone. This is your news reporter, Ribitta, giving you all the evening news you need to know! Today's top story is one of action. Only an hour ago, reports of a NetNavi in the real world were sent to the Net Police headquarters here in DenTech City."

Lan, Megaman, and Dr. Hikari all looked at TV. The opening statement had all of their attentions. As such, they all thought the same thought. Did someone know Megaman was a NetNavi? Or, is Ribitta talking about something else? None of them knew, and decided to listen to the news report further before jumping to any conclusion.

"The NetNavi in question was suspected to have been using a Copyroid purchased through the Black Market. It was causing havoc just outside DenTech City, when a Dimensional Area appeared. It contained the rogue NetNavi as a NetSaver entered and eliminated the copyroid. Although the copyroid was destroyed, the whereabouts of the NetNavi's data is still unknown at this point."

Megaman looked at Lan, and Lan looked at Megaman. This wasn't good at all. This could have been the work of the UnderNet Mafia. However, Ribitta and the DNN would not have known that. Cannonman was the first person to have come out of the UnderNet Mafia and attacked someone. Could this NetNavi that was just defeated be Cannonman as well, or was it someone else?

"Hey, Lan. Do you think it was Cannonman?"  
"I'm not sure, Megaman. While we are asking questions…think Chaud was the NetSaver mentioned?"  
"Hmmm…probably. I don't think Raika is in the country right now."  
"Well, we can always give Chaud a call, see if we are right."  
"We could, but if it was him, he is probably writing up a report right now."  
"You're right, Megaman. We can ask tomorrow."

The two boys nodded at each other and continued to watch the rest of the news report. There wasn't much of anything else, just boring stuff about different companies merging, rivalries between companies, notably AyanoTech and BlazeQuest, becoming more and more intensified, and stuff about stock prices. It was 9:30 pm when Lan's father finally put the paper down, and got Lan's attention.

"Lan, I almost forgot to tell you something."  
"What is it, Dad?"  
"Well, it's about your SynchroChip."  
"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. It got crushed by Cannonman at SciLab."  
"That it did. But, the thing I was going to tell you is good news."  
"Really?"  
"Really. I knew it happened, because I heard the story from Chaud. So, I decided to send in an order to the Dimensional Area Research Lab bordering Sharo and Brightland. We should have a new SynchroChip for you early tomorrow, actually."  
"That's great, Dad!"  
"I knew you would be happy to hear that, Lan."

Dr. Hikari and Lan exchanged smiles. Megaman added his own smile to the conversation, as he was happy that now Lan would be able to CrossFuse again. Lan, too, was happy about being able to CrossFuse again. While he loved the idea that Megaman would be able to fight in the real world, he couldn't stand the fact that Megaman would get to have all the fun. He figured he would miss CrossFusion a lot, and was hoping for a replacement SynchroChip. Apparently, his wish had come true. 'Chaud, that big mouth. I'll have to remember to thank him.' Lan smiled inward knowing that Chaud had his back.

"Oh, that reminds me! I need to get back down to SciLab. I wanted to examine that new emotion data inside Megaman some more."  
"Will I need to be there with you, Dr. Hikari?"  
"No, Megaman. You can actually stay here. During the analysis the other day, we were able to copy that data and isolate it. That way, we can study it without you actually having to be present."  
"Good planning, Dr. Hikari."

Dr. Hikari smile at Megaman, while also giving off a bit of a chuckle under his breath. He stood up from the chair and gave Lan a smile, who smiled back. Lan knew his father's work was hard, and it did require a lot of his time in order to complete, and this recent thing with Megaman was no exception.

"Oh, dear. Can you drop me off at the market? I forgot to pickup some food for dinner tomorrow."  
"Sure, honey. The market is on the way to SciLab. I'll drop you off and pick you up when you are ready."  
"Thanks, dear."

Mrs. Hikari and Dr. Hikari both grabbed their shoes from the front door and slipped them on. Dr. Hikari turned back and looked towards Lan and Megaman. All three sets of eyes had made contact with each other.

"Lan, Megaman. Make sure that you lock up if you go upstairs."  
"No problem, Dad. I'll remember."  
"And, I'll remember as well for when Lan forgets."  
"Hey! I am NOT that scatter brained!"

Megaman, Dr. Hikari, and Mrs. Hikari all shared in a joined laugh at Lan's reaction. Lan was a little embarrassed about what just happened. It was evident that he was a little embarrassed as he cheeks flush a very slight shade of red. He tried his best to hide it by looking away, attempting to appear as though he was a little upset by their reaction. Still he turned around and joined in the laughter.

The two adults soon left the house, leaving Megaman and Lan with the house to themselves. They gave each other a smile, and started some horse-play in the living room. Lan tried to hit Megaman with some of the cushions, while Megaman tried his best to not get hit. It was like some kind of tag game, but with couch cushions, and both of them were enjoying it.

It didn't take long, as Megaman realized that he, too, could grab a couch cushion and attack Lan as well. They both swung their weapons at the other, attempting to hit the other while dodging incoming blows. Megaman made the first strike, as his cushion hit Lan in the side. However, Lan retaliated, striking Megaman in the right leg. The two of them were having a blast. Lan's parents didn't give a timeframe as to when they would be back, but he figured they would be gone for about 2 hours, as his mother took a lot of time to shop for food. They continued their cushion war for another 20 minutes, until Lan showed signs of tiredness.

"Wow…I'm getting tired. I guess the party took more out of me than I thought."  
"You, tired? This early in the evening? Ha-ha. You can't stay up like you use to, Lan."  
"It was an eventful day. Can I help it if I get tired easily?"  
"Hehe, I guess you have a point."

Lan let out a yawn, most likely because of exhaustion. Megaman saw this, and also yawned, not because he was tired as well, but because a yawn is "contagious." The boys replaced the couch cushions into their original places and sat down. Megaman wrapped his arms around Lan, who did the same, as they sat side by side on the piece of furniture.

"I think I'm gonna go take a shower, Megaman."  
"Alright, Lan. I'll probably go in after you."  
"Ok."

The two boys released their embrace. Megaman watched Lan move towards the stairs, and then vanish as he ascended the staircase. Lan, all the while, was thinking about the day. It was a great day to be certain. He got the Navi Customizer to make Megaman stronger, a BattleChip to help during Megaman's fights, 2,000 Zenny worth of free curry at #1 Curry, and some new clothes. And, to top it all off, he would be getting a new SynchroChip in the morning. 'What an awesome day.'

Lan finally reached the top of the staircase and proceeded to the bathroom. He walked inside to find that it was just as clean as it was this morning. He knew his mother was a clean-freak sometimes. He vaguely remembered her not being present for most of the games that were played that night, and figured that she had left the group to clean up the bathroom a bit for the guests, even though it was probably clean to begin with.

Lan smiled inward at his mother's instincts, and started to remove his clothing so he could take a shower. He removed his headband and put it on the sink. He wanted to make sure that it didn't get wet. Next, he unzipped his orange vest and placed it sloppily on the floor. He had removed his shoes when he got into the house earlier in the evening, so he only needed to remove his socks, which he did, and placed them in the same pile as his vest.

He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and lifted that over his head, and, just like his socks and vest, tossed it into the pile, like it was just another piece of clothing. Lan didn't think twice about leaving the bathroom door open. He and Megaman were a couple and, seeing as there was no one else home, didn't see a need to close or lock the door. This may have turned out to work in Lan's favor, as a pair of arms wrapped around his waist while he was undressing. He was caught off-guard by the sudden touch, and turned his head to find Megaman behind him.

"I hope you don't mind, Lan. But, I thought that maybe it would be better if we both took our showers at the same time. We can save some water that way." Megaman spoke in an innocent, but somewhat seductive tone. Megaman had already placed his head over Lan's shoulder, making sure his comment came off as a whisper in the boy's ear. Lan could only smile at the Navi's demeanor, rotating his head so he could see Megaman and gave the Navi a soft kiss on the lips.

"I love that idea."

Megaman smiled as he felt Lan's hands grab his own. The boy moved Megaman's hands around his waist like a puppet master would with one of his wooden puppets. Lan moved the Navi's fingers around so that they unbutton his shorts, then made them grabbed the rim and pull his shorts and boxers down to his knees, which then fell to the floor on their own. The now 12 year old boy stood in the bathroom, naked in front of his partner.

"You go on in. I'll join you in a minute or two."  
"Alright, Megaman."

The Navi planted a kiss on Lan's lips before the boy moved over to the shower to start drawing water. Lan stood by the faucet and, like always, intermittently putting his hand in the water to make sure it was just right. Megaman, on the other hand, was removing his own clothing, getting ready to step into the shower with Lan. It only took him a minute or two, but Megaman removed his clothing and joined Lan inside the shower.

"Mmmmm…like always, the water is just right, Lan."  
"I guess I have a gift for getting it just right."  
"Yeah…a gift…"

Megaman's thoughts trailed off. With Lan's comment, he remembered that he didn't get anything for Lan that day. He still felt like he let Lan down, even though the boy had already told Megaman that him being 'here in the real world is present enough for me.' He just didn't feel like it was enough to just be here. He wanted to give Lan something.

Megaman felt two arms wrap around him, and something press against his stomach. He turned around to see Lan behind him, then looked forward again and down at his stomach. He saw the boy had grabbed the bar of soap and was now running it across his stomach and chest. Megaman was enjoying the contact, letting his head fall back a little as he closed his eyes in the running water.

Lan kept moving his hands with the soap across Megaman's body, making sure he could feel every part of the body in front on him. He started in the stomach area, then moved up towards Megaman's chest, afterwards making his way from side to side. Lan made sure he went slowly, once he saw the Navi's reaction to the treatment he was receiving.

"Thanks, Lan."  
"No problem, Megaman"

The Navi suddenly turned around and traded places with Lan. The boy wasn't fully expecting this, but he was now in front, closest to the faucet, with Megaman behind him. Lan could feel the warm water pounding against his skin. It was just as soothing as it normally was. He closed his eyes and inhaled some of the warm air that permeated around him. He then felt Megaman's arm wrap around his waist, like he did a few minutes ago.

"My turn." Megaman whispered into Lan's ear, as he grabbed the soap out of the boy's hand and started to rub it across Lan's skin. He closed his eyes, noting how his skin felt when it came into contact with Megaman's skin. The soap had been moving around his chest area, then around to both his arms, and soon along his sides and stomach. All the while, Lan noticed Megaman planting soft, gentle kisses along his neck and lower chin. Lan's mind couldn't measure how good it felt, but his body did the measurement for him, as a hardness started to develop between his legs.

'No…not here…not right now…' Lan tried to keep his hormones under control, and his developing erection slowly started to diminish. Luckily, he noticed that Megaman was unaware of it, seeing that the Navi was 'in the mood'. It wasn't a bad thing from Lan's perspective, but the bathroom wasn't the place, seeing that the door was still open, and his mother or father might be home early.

"All done, Lan." Megaman's voice made its way to Lan's ear, as he unwrapped his arms and placed the bar of soap on its holder. Lan turned around to be greeting with a kiss on the lips from Megaman. He sank into the kiss, and felt Megaman's tongue lick his lips, begging for entrance into the boy's mouth. He opened up and let his tongue mingle with Megaman's, who seemed to be playing around, teasingly.

"Megaman…maybe should move somewhere more private?"

Megaman looked at Lan, and realized he was referring to the fact that the bathroom door was still opened. He smiled at the boy, gave him another kiss on the lips, and then slowly moved down to his chin, leaving a wet trail along the way. Lan closed his eyes, losing himself in the motions.

"You're right. Let's head back to your room."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Megaman and Lan had taken towels and dried themselves after their shower together. It was only a few minutes later, and they had made their way into Lan's room. Neither of the two parents were home yet. However, like Megaman had predicted, Lan forgot to lock the front door now that they were both upstairs. The Navi went down the staircase, in only a towel, and locked the entry way, then soon returned to his partner who was sitting on his bed, completely naked. Neither of the two boys bothered to dress, as they knew their clothing would only be tossed aside in a few moments.

Megaman released his towel, and threw his body up against Lan's, who then started to suckle on the Navi's collarbone, while Megaman made short work of the boy's neck. The weight of Megaman's body against Lan's made both of them fall backwards and onto the bed. They were now both lying down, with Megaman on top and Lan on bottom. Though they were not in their original position, Lan was still enjoying Megaman's collarbone while Megaman was still licking and kissing areas of Lan's neck.

The Navi lifted his head up, getting a small breath before he spoke. He then started to get an idea. His mind still told him that he never got Lan a present for his birthday, and, in the current position he was in with Lan, presented the perfect opportunity to fill that void.

"Just relax, Lan. I want this to be great for you."  
"It is, Megaman."  
"Not yet, it isn't. Just relax…It will get better…"

Lan wasn't sure what Megaman could do to make things get better, but soon realized it. Both of the boys now had erections, and Megaman used his, rubbing up against Lan's, sending a wave of pleasure through the boy below him. Lan squirmed, moving around at the feeling of Megaman's member against his.

With his self-control on the back burner, Lan started to buck his hips, thrusting his lower body up and down, making sure his member rubbed against Megaman's, trying to use it to keep the feeling from slipping away. Lan's sudden movements made Megaman flinch a little bit, but adjusted his body and movements to match that of Lan's, while still kissing and licking the boy's neck.

"Mega…Mega…" Lan couldn't help himself. His thrusting started to get more rapid and faster. Part of him wanted to keep this feeling for as long as possible. Another part wanted it to get better the more he thrusted. The last part of him wanted to just get to that last bit of pleasure at the very end. He couldn't decide what to do.

However, Megaman had his own plans. He lifted his body up from Lan's, who became upset that there was now nothing there to help him attain any form of release. The Navi pressed his lips against Lan's in a searing kiss that lasted for a good while. He broke the kiss, and then started to move down Lan's body, leaving another wet trail along the way. He passed the boy's chest and got to his navel. Lan exhaled sharply, a result of all of the feelings he had never felt before.

"Hmmm." Megaman had finally found his way to the base of the boy's erection. He slowly licked around it, occasionally going across his nut sac. Lan clinched his hands, not out of anger, but out of pleasure. This was something he never felt before in his life. And now, it was with the person who he loved more than anyone else. Finally, Megaman grabbed Lan's waist with both hands in a delicate grip.

"Just relax…" Megaman's words trailed off as he took Lan's length into his mouth. The slick heat from the Navi's mouth made Lan's world spin. He started panting heavily as Megaman had finally taken the entire length into his mouth, thus starting to move his head up and down. He could taste the pre-cum that was starting to ooze out from Lan's member.

"Mega…Mega…Mega…" Lan couldn't keep still anymore. He grabbed a hold of Megaman's head and starting thrusting his hips upward, while also driving the Navi more and more into the length. Megaman tried his best to adapt to the change, and he succeeded. He matched his movements to Lan's hips, maximizing the experience for the boy. Lan's head was still spinning. He couldn't hold himself much longer. He need to…

"Megaman!" Lan yelled his partner's name as he reached his limit, releasing his cum into the Navi's mouth in short, but plentiful, bursts. Megaman removed much of the length from his mouth, save for the head. His tongue lapped around the head, tasting the seed that was also overflowing from his mouth.

Lan couldn't quite catch his breath. He let go of Megaman's head, who then lifted it up, releasing Lan's now softening member. He slowly moved his head towards Lan's, purposefully letting the cum drip from his mouth, leaving a trail from the boy's member to his neck.

Megaman captured Lan's lips in another kiss, making sure his tongue got to meet with Lan's, thereby giving the boy a taste of himself. Lan accepted the invitation and let his tongue mingle with Megaman's, letting him get the taste the Navi wanted.

"Mmmmm…it's sweet."  
"I know…It was hard for me to just let it drip out."

Lan tried to rotate so that he was on top, but Megaman refused to let his position go.

"Megaman…"  
"Lan…I want my present to be for you. Just enjoy it tonight."  
"Present?"

Lan was a bit confused, but realized it soon enough. 'Oh…that is what he meant.' Lan smiled at the Navi on top of him, letting Megaman continue with his work. The smile was all Megaman needed, as he continued, scooping the trails of cum from Lan's body and rubbing it over his still erected member. In a somewhat sloppy movement, Megaman moved to the bottom of the bed and lifted Lan's legs up, exposing his entrance. He still had some of the seed left on his fingers, which he used to penetrate the boy's entrance.

He started with his middle finger, but soon added his index finger into the hole. Lan let out a small yelp, both from a mixture of pain and pleasure. Megaman moved his fingers at a slow pace, trying his best to stretch Lan's entrance. It seemed to be working, as he was able to enter his ring finger into the mix. Lan felt pain, but it was slowly diminishing, as he got use to the feeling.

Megaman soon removed his fingers from the hole, and Lan let out of a whimper of disappointment, now they he had lost a favorable feeling. But, this was soon to change, as Megaman positioned himself so that the tip of his length was pressed against Lan's entrance. He smiled at the boy in front of him, ready to go when Lan gave the word.

"Ready, Lan?"  
"Yeah, Megaman."

With those words, Megaman proceeded, pushing the head of his member into Lan's entrance. The ring muscles started to tighten a bit, making Megaman's movements a little harder to do. However, he kept on going, letting his length continue into the boy in front of him. Lan was squirming, due to the fact that this was something that he had never felt before. Mixtures of feelings were washing over him.

It didn't take long, but he felt Megaman fully inside him. He clinched his hands again, this time entangling them in the bed sheets. His face was contorting, more or less from the pain that was coming over him. But, he had to convince himself that the end result would be worth it. Megaman started to pull out, and then push back in, giving long, hard thrusts.

He started to gain a more rapid pace, which also had a rhythm of its own. His pace started to grow a little faster and harder, making the experience for Lan much more enjoyable. The boy's ring muscles finally stretched to a size that generated more enjoyment than pain. Lan's face was finally showing less sign of pain and more signs of euphoria. He was finally enjoying the unified feelings that were washing over him. He could finally…

"Megaman!" Lan screamed Megaman's name again. The Navi took that as he did something that hurt Lan, and pulled himself half-way out.

"Lan! Are you ok?"  
"Megaman…do…do that again…"

The Navi realized he had hit a spot in Lan that was extremely well-liked by the boy. He smiled and drove himself into Lan again, making sure he hit that spot again. Lan's world exploded. It was a feeling like no other. It was so strong, it made his member start to get hard again. Megaman took note of this and grabbed Lan's hand, moving it around the boy's member in a way that would give him even more enjoyment.

Leaving Lan to work on himself, Megaman leaned over and started to kiss, lick, and suck on the boy's nipples, while still making fast and hard thrusts into the body in front of him. Lan tired to talk, but his speech just came out as loud moans. He felt something…something he had never felt before. There wasn't anything to describe it. If anything, he felt…complete. He felt like a void in his life was finally filled, and Megaman was the person who did that. He felt…

"L…Lan!" Megaman yelled his boyfriend's name as he made one final thrust, releasing a solid stream of cum into the boy. The warm liquid could be felt all throughout Lan's body, acting as a kind of warming agent which Lan had never felt in his entire life. It made him feel relaxed, but aroused at the same time.

This was made evident soon enough. Megaman's released caused Lan to reach his limit for the second time that night. With a loud moan, he rubbed his member only a little more, finally forcing out several spurts of cum onto his stomach, with some hitting Megaman's chest in the process. He exhaled sharply, removing his hand from his softening length and placing it around Megaman's back.

The Navi soon removed himself from the boy below him, inadvertently also allowing his own seed to start spilling out from the boy. Megaman's member was now dripping with his own cum. He noticed Lan's arm wrap around his back, and returned the favor. He smiled down at the boy. Soon afterwards, he pressed his lips against Lan's, whose mouth was wide open, allowing Megaman to let his tongue invade the boy's mouth. The kiss only lasted a short while, as both of the boys started to feel tired.

They rolled onto their sides, still facing and holding each other. Megaman's emerald green eyes stared directly into Lan's brown ones, both giving the other a smile.

"Lan…I hope you liked your present."  
"Liked it? I loved it."  
"That's great. I guess I gave you a great present."

Lan looked at Megaman, who was starting to fall sleep. The boy was also starting to fall asleep. It seemed that having sex made both of them tired, as they got pushed to their limits both times. He smiled at the Navi, who was now completely asleep in front of him. He smiled inward, trying to burn the image of Megaman's face into his mind. He thought Megaman looked beyond cute with how he was laying there. Finally, Lan closed his eyes.

One last thought crossed his mind. 'It wasn't a great present. It was a perfect present."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

**_Hope you all enjoyed the second lemon! I think it is better than the first one I made, but, then again, I would be bias if I said it was! Anyway, the next chapter is going to be a two-parter. So, be ready to be reading A LOT! Hehe._**

**_Also a reminder: The next poll is up in my profile. Make sure you vote! I will leave it up longer this time to allow more people to vote. So, make sure you get your opinion in!_**


	11. Chapter 11: Shocking Developments Pt 1

**_I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO sorry that it took a long time to get this chapter out. Real Life has really kept me busy this past month. However, I finally got time here and there to complete this chapter. _**

**_So, here it is! Enjoy the long read!_**

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Chapter 11 – Shocking Developments, Pt. 1

There was no sunlight that morning. It was actually rather cloudy for the morning. Not a single ray of sunlight was even able to break through the heavy amount of clouds in the sky. This was the kind of day that would normally get Lan down. However, he wasn't going to let it depress him too much.

He opened his eyes to find that Megaman was still laying in front of him, still with his arms wrapped around the boy, as well as the boy's arms still wrapped around Megaman. Lan was normally a violent sleeper. He would toss and turn almost all night, trying to find a comfortable position so he could fall asleep. Most often, his blanket ended up on the floor during the course of the night.

However, last night was very different. The position he was in with Megaman felt far too comfortable for him to move at any point during the night. He figured that the Navi was probably feeling the same way, as Megaman did not move throughout the night as well. 'He looks so peaceful.' Lan couldn't help but smile inward at the sight.

He tried his best to get quietly out of the bed, hoping not to wake Megaman in the process. He figured that the Navi might want to sleep a little longer. He must have been exhausted after yesterday. It was quite an eventful day, to say the least. His mother had told him that Megaman had asked for some money to get Lan a present for his birthday party. Lan figured that Megaman had been looking around town for most of yesterday, probably right after school started to when he got out for the day. Apparently, he looked, but didn't find anything that Lan really wanted.

He slowly got out of the bed to find some clothes to wear. The last thing he needed was to go downstairs naked, thereby embarrassing himself beyond belief. He opened one of the drawers on his dresser, removing a pair of green boxers and dressing himself with them. He then opened the drawer below that one, removing a pair of plaid pajamas and putting them on.

Lan looked over at the clock above his bed. 10:32 am. 'Wow. It's already 10:32. I didn't realize it was this late.' Even for Lan, that was pretty late for a Saturday morning. He figured that his mother had already made and put away breakfast, but decided that he should go downstairs to make sure. 'Maybe she held off this morning. Guess I'll have to check it out.'

Lan looked over at Megaman, still asleep on the bed, and realize that he was naked as well. Thinking that his parents might see him like that, he slowly pulled the blanket off the floor and put it over the Navi. Deeming that blanket to be enough, he left the room and proceeded downstairs to see his mother.

"Good morning, Lan. I take it you slept well?"  
"Yeah. I slept great."  
"I can see that. You slept a lot later than you normally do. I actually got a call from Dex. He, Yai, Maylu, and Tory were wondering if you could all get together."  
"Really?"  
"Really. I told him you were still asleep, and he just laughed."  
"That sounds like Dex, alright."  
"Anyway, Lan. I can make something for you and Megaman before you head out. By the way, where is Megaman?"

Lan had to think of an answer that wouldn't prompt his mother to go upstairs and check on the Navi. Lan wasn't good at lying, but he decided that he had to give it a shot or else his mother would end up checking on Megaman anyway. A few excuses came to his mind, but none of them were buy-able. Finally, he realized all of his excuses revolved around Megaman being in the real world.

"Oh, him? Last night, he went back into my PET. He said something about getting together with Roll and the others early this morning. I didn't see him in my PET when I woke up."  
"Well, that's nice. I'm sure they are having a really good time. So, what would you like to eat?"  
"Oh, I'll pick something up on my way to meet Dex and the others."  
"Ok, Lan. That will give me time to start getting dinner prepared."

They both exchanged smiles as Lan went back upstairs to change his clothes. He opened his bedroom door to find that Megaman had actually moved in his sleep. It wasn't much of a movement, though. He just switched the side he was laying on. 'Hmmm...I guess he finally got uncomfortable.' Lan snickered to himself. He could see the irony in the situation.

Megaman had not moved all night, and neither did he. However, the moment that they were separated, Megaman decided that the position he was in was not comfortable anymore and needed to shift his position in order to regain the comfort that was lost. Although he shifted sides, Megaman still did not wake up. Lan knew that the Navi was the punctual kind when it came to getting up on time, and he laughed to himself to see Megaman not being his usual, punctual self.

Still trying not to wake Megaman up, Lan crept over to his closet and started to silently sift through his clothing to find his normal attire. He was happy that he still had a shirt, vest, and pair of shorts that were clean. He started to undress himself, first removing his pajamas, which he would later place inside the drawer he took them from, and then he replaced those pajamas with the clothing he just removed from the closet.

"..." Lan turned around after hearing a sound that didn't come from him. As he looked, he found that Megaman was finally starting to wake up. The Navi was rustling around in the bed, trying to get some movement going so he could emerge from sleep. It proved to be effective, as he was able to open his eyes, if only a little bit. His eyes were still squinted as he tried to push himself up by placing his arms behind him.

Lan looked over at Megaman, now sitting upright on the bed, but still had his eyes slightly open, still squinting. Lan couldn't resist the urge as he walked over to the naked Navi and give him a good morning kiss. Megaman felt the contact and welcomed it. He figured that Lan was returning the favor from 2 days ago.

"Good morning, sleepy-head." Lan was just a little cocky in his voice. He knew that Megaman would always get up on time...well...on time so that he could wake Lan up on time, or close to it, which never really seemed to work.

"Morning, Lan...what time is it?"  
"It's 10:40 am."  
"What? It's that late in the morning already?"  
"Yeah. We both slept like rocks."  
"Ha-ha. I can believe that."  
"Anyway. Dex and the others want to get together today. So, wake up, get dressed, and act like you were just with Roll and the others."  
"Huh? Act like I was with Roll and the others? What did you tell Mom, Lan?"  
"Well...she asked where you were. I didn't want to say you were upstairs, because she might have come to check on you. So, I told her you were with Roll and the others."

Megaman gave Lan a perplexed look. He couldn't quite figure out why he would tell his mother a lie like that. Maybe he was still upset over something? The thought of Lan still being upset about something made Megaman worry. If Lan was upset, he didn't have a clue as to what it was, or why he was holding onto his grudge for so long.

However, Megaman couldn't imagine that Lan would still be upset over something. He thought for several moments, still giving Lan the same perplexed look that he gave the boy a few moments. Although Megaman was great at figuring out riddles and the like without any troubles, he couldn't figure out what Lan's motive behind the lie were.

Sucking up his pride, he finally asked. "Lan, why did you tell Mom that? I wasn't with Roll or the others at all today." Hopefully, Lan would answer the question and Megaman would finally figure out why he had to go along with the boy's lie.

"Well...if she came up here to check on you with how you are now, then she might..." Lan was cut off by Megaman, who finally figured out why Lan made up that lie.

"Oh...I get it. If she came up here to check on me, then she would have saw me like this," Megaman said, obviously hinting at his current state, which happened to still be clothes-less. Lan simply nodded his head to confirm the Navi's hypothesis. Megaman then leaned forward and give Lan a soft kiss on the lips which lasted for several seconds.

Both of the boys were brought out of their moment by a voice from downstairs. "Lan. Make sure you get ready quickly. You don't want to make Dex and your other friends wait too long for you." Mrs. Hikari, as well as Megaman, seemed to try to get Lan to be much more punctual when it came to being on-time. Unfortunately for them, this never seemed to work all too well. Nevertheless, they were persistent. Sometimes Lan got the hint, other times...not so much.

Lan yelled down the stairs. "Alright, Mom. I'll be down soon."

Lan turned his head away from the door to only be greeted by another kiss from Megaman. He sank into the favorable contact, trying to make sure it lasted for a long as he could keep this passionate moment. Lan's attempts seemed to work, either by his own actions or by Megaman's, as the kiss lasted much longer than before they were interrupted.

Lan pulled away from Megaman, finally breaking the kiss to get a breath of air. "You sure are in a good mood, Megaman."

"Well, I had to finish what I started."  
"You always have to have the last word, don't you?"  
"Ha-ha. It's what I'm best at."  
"You got that right."

The two boys shared in a joined laugh before Lan decided it was time to go downstairs before his mother started to wonder what he was taking him so long in his room. Megaman, too, decided that he should go downstairs with Lan, more or less to see if he could get any breakfast, even though it was late in the morning.

Lan left the room, which gave Megaman some time to dress before heading downstairs himself. He opened Lan's closet and found a small selection of clothing that he never wore. A few of them were a little dressier than others, which did catch Megaman's eye for a moment. 'Well...I guess I shouldn't get anything too dressy...' Megaman did like the look of some of the clothing, but they were "nice" clothing; clothing that you would wear to something important, not hang out in.

He sifted through the rest of the closet to find another green shirt. His other one was dirty and needed to be washed. 'This should work,' Megaman thought, as he placed the shirt on his torso and proceeded to the dresser to find a pair of boxers, pants, and socks. It didn't take much effort, as he did find the rest of the clothing he wanted. The only difference was that the pants he found had a button and zipper, instead of being an elastic waistband. However, that didn't bother Megaman. He was just happy that Lan actually had clean clothing that he could wear.

He left Lan's room and walked down the staircase and was greeting by Mrs. Hikari at the bottom. "Oh, Megaman. You're back. I take it your time with Roll and the others was enjoyable?"

The Navi quickly remembered what Lan had told him. He wasn't one for lying, but they still wanted to keep their relationship under wraps. "Yeah. We had a great time in NetCity. We saw Aki perform and watched some great battles at the Net Coliseum."

"It sounds like you had a great time."  
"Yeah. It was good to see everyone again."  
"After such a time, you must be hungry. Can I make you anything?"

Megaman looked at Lan for some kind of answer, thinking that there was something more to the lie. Luckily though, he remembered Mrs. Hikari's earlier statement. "Nah. I'm just going to go with Lan today."

"Oh, ok. In that case, I'll just start dinner now. We're going to be having a roast tonight. If you two are going to stay out long, make sure you come back for dinner." Mrs. Hikari liked that Lan was getting out, like he always did. However, she wasn't really happy when he didn't get home in time for dinner. He and Megaman got lucky the past few days when it came to getting to dinner on time. Mrs. Hikari just wanted to make sure that it would remain as a consistency.

"Don't worry about us, Mom. I'll make sure Megaman makes it home on time."  
"Oh, give me a break, Lan. You totally forgot about locking the house last night. I had to do that."  
"Hey! I can't help it if I was too tired to remember that."  
"Which is why I remembered for you. Ha-ha."

Lan bowed his head slightly in defeat. However, Megaman wasn't quite finished with his daily nagging. "But, Lan. You probably shouldn't leave the house, yet. You haven't done the weekend home Mr. Mari assigned yet."

"Megaman! That isn't due for a whole 2 days. I have plenty of time to do it."  
"You say that now."  
"I'll get it done. Don't worry about it."  
"Alright...if you say so."

Megaman had this nagging feeling that Lan wouldn't finish his homework. 'I'll probably have to remind him when we get back after dinner.' Deciding that his plan was sufficient, he walked over to the boy, who was sitting on the couch in the living room, watching the TV. Ribitta was giving a news report about another NetNavi in the real world. This report had caught Lan's attention, and subsequently, Megaman's.

"This is your news reporter, Ribitta, giving you all the news you need to know! Only a few hours ago, another NetNavi was spotted in our world! It was causing all kinds of havoc and destruction at the DenTech Natural History Museum. It did not take long for SciLab to initiate a Dimensional Area to contain the rogue NetNavi."

Lan and Megaman looked at each other. They both knew that Lan didn't get a call about a NetNavi in the real world. 'I wonder if Chaud was the one who took care of it. If it was, he probably told Chief Keifer not to call me,' Lan thought as he turned back towards the TV to listen to the rest of the news report. The boy already knew that someone had defeated the rogue NetNavi, because if they didn't, he would have gotten a call.

"Moments later, a Net Agent entered the Dimensional Area and dispatched the rogue NetNavi. It turned out to be nothing more than a copyroid. Unfortunately, just like last night, the NetNavi data escaped into the Cyberworld, and it's current whereabouts are unknown."

"Do you think Chaud took care of that NetNavi?"  
"I'm not sure, Megaman. Then again, who else do we know that would be here?"  
"You've got a good point there, Lan."  
"Oh, damn! We better hurry so we aren't late to see Dex and the others."

Megaman laughed to himself. 'Maybe I should have been a little more nagging,' Megaman thought, as he did his best to suppress his laughter, trying not to let it reach his mouth. It seemed to have worked, as Lan didn't notice the smile across the Navi's face. However, that might have been due to the fact that Lan was now rushing to get his shoes on before heading out.

"Goodbye, boys. Make sure you don't get into any trouble!"

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Yesterday was some day, right Megaman?"

Lan had broken a slight silence between the pair as they were walking towards SciLab. After they left the house, Lan had remembered that his new SynchroChip was going to be at SciLab earlier that day. He could only hope that his father remembered to put it in a safe place so that it wouldn't get lost by some stroke of bad luck.

"Well, that's one way of describing it."  
"It was a great day. I haven't had that much fun in a long time."  
"Yeah. I could tell. You tried to so hard to win the games, too."  
"It was my birthday. I should have been able to wi..."

Lan stopped mid sentence as he looked ahead. He saw a person whom he recognized, and it turned out to be Ms. Yuri. "Hey, Megaman. It's Ms. Yuri." The Navi looked in the same direction as his NetOp did. Sure enough, Ms. Yuri was walking towards them, most likely doing some errands.

"Yeah...what do you suppose she is doing, Lan?"  
"Probably just running her own errands. Do you think we should say hi?"  
"Depends on whether or not she is busy."

Lan, who didn't like to take "no" for an answer most of the time, decided that Megaman's answer suggested that he should go and say "hi". If she was busy, he would leave. If not, then he wanted to ask her a few questions about what she knows about the UnderNet Mafia.

Ms. Yuri was wearing her usual attire: black trench coat with black pants, maroon shirt, black boots, and black sunglasses. The sunglasses were so dark that is was hard to see if she was looking at you or not. However, when she got close, you figured it out, as she would normally address you, or ignore you.

"Hey, Ms. Yuri," Lan and Megaman said, in unison. Ms. Yuri looked at the pair, and decided she could chat a little bit.

"Well, if it isn't Lan and Megaman. What brings you boys out into the city today?"  
"Lan is getting his new SynchroChip today."  
"New one? What happened to your original, Lan?"

Hearing Ms. Yuri's words, Lan unknowingly bowed his head a little in shame. It wasn't the fact that he was embarrassed about telling anyone, but he was embarrassed that he was going to tell one of the former CrossFusion Team members that he was careless with his precious SynchroChip.

Finally realizing which way his head was pointing, Lan sucked up his embarrassment and raised his eyes to meet Ms. Yuri's. "When Cannonman attacked SciLab a few days ago, he used a Program Advanced that knocked me out of CrossFusion. The SynchroChip got ejected from my PET, and Cannonman crushed it with his foot."

"Sounds like you've had a lot of bad luck lately, Lan."  
"Yeah, Ms. Yuri. It sure seems that way."

The woman looked over at the other boy who was standing beside Lan. "And, what about you, Megaman?"

The Navi looked at the woman in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean how are you going to deal with today?"  
"I still don't follow you."  
"Listen, Megaman. I visited that fortuneteller, Miyu, a few days ago. I know what is going to happen. You and Lan are going to have to fight for your very lives, just like back in the day when we fought Duo. If you two don't keep your guard up, you may end up in a plot at the local cemetery."

The comment almost sounded like a threat from her to Lan and Megaman. It came close to making them upset with her. However, the boys did realize that she was only looking out for them...in her own, special way.

Megaman turned to Lan, as he figured out what Ms. Yuri was speaking of. "Remember, Lan. Miyu said that in 2 days, something would happen to us." He tried his best to emphasize his point to Lan, who did pick up on it, showing somewhat of an 'Oh, that's right' look on his face.

"That prediction was...2 days ago..."  
"Exactly. That means what is going to happen will happen...TODAY."  
"But, Megaman. We don't know what "it" will be."

The two boys kept looking at each other, then looked at Ms, Yuri for some kind of answer. However, she simply shook her head from side to side, signaling that she did not have any idea what was suppose to happen to them. This worried the duo, as they were now at a lose for ideas as to what might happen. An uncomfortable silence fell between Lan and Megaman.

The silence only lasted for a few moments, as Ms. Yuri decided something needed to be said... "Well, kids. I need to get going. My sister wants to give me the lesson plan for this coming week."...even though it was a goodbye.

"I expect to see you with your homework completed on Monday, Lan. Ms. Mari already told me about your chronic homework habits."  
"Yes, Ms. Yuri. I'll make sure it is done."  
"Good. Until then, keep a weathered eye on the horizon."

Lan and Megaman's eyes followed Ms. Yuri as she walked between them, past them, and rounded a corner, heading for DenTech Academy. Their eyes them fixated on each other, both trying to find an answer within the other. They both hoped that the other had a suggestion on what they should do, seeing that they were still in the dark about what was going to happen that day.

Suddenly, Megaman had an idea. "Lan. We should go see Miyu. She made the prediction. Maybe she can tell us what will happen." The Navi figured that it was their only option, as waiting around for something to happen certainly wasn't going to help the situation.

Lan simply nodded his head in agreement, and the two ran to Miyu's Antique Shop.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

_"Miyu...how did you know that..." Lan was cut off by Miyu, who knew exactly what he was going to say.  
"I am a fortuneteller, Lan. I saw what happened yesterday before it even happened."  
"You did?" Megaman became more curious than shocked now.  
"I did. I also know what will happen in 2 days, and you both must watch your steps."_

_..._

_"Megaman...Lan...you must tread lightly. Do not underestimate the UnderNet Mafia. They are the next biggest threat to our world."  
"Miyu...what is going to happened in a few days? You said you saw the future."  
"I saw you, Lan. However, you did not see anyone else."  
"Huh? What does that mean?"  
"Lan. I am saying that you need to be careful. Your future is uncertain, and that is even worse than knowing if something bad will happen."_

_..._

_"Miyu...what about me? What happens to me?"  
"Megaman...I see you...in pain. But, it is not physical...it is emotional."  
"Emotional? What do you mean?"  
"That, I am not sure. Only time will tell. For your future, too, is not without uncertainty."_

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Megaman just couldn't keep his mind focused on one thing. Now that him and Lan were going to Miyu's to see if they could get any information out of her, his mind was just filled with too many things to worry about, disabling his ability to focus on just one of them at a time.

They both picked up their pace, as the sky looked like it was ready to open up on them. The weather forecast given that morning called for rain to start falling around noon and go to around 8:30 pm at night. Lan didn't want to get caught in the rain. He never liked the rain. It made him, the great Lan Hikari, King of Optimism, depressed. He could never put his finger on it, but something about it just took away all of his normal cheery self.

"It's only a few more blocks until we are at Miyu's shop, Lan. Let's slow down a little bit."  
"Only a little. I really don't want to spend more time than we need."

Megaman could see that Lan certainly was either worried that whatever was going to happen will happen before they got to the shop, or that he simply wanted to know before it happened. Whatever the case, the Navi knew that they needed to get to Miyu's shop as quickly as possible.

Lan had tried to contact Miyu via Skullman. However, all of his PET calls were not answered by the shopkeeper's NetNavi. All of his attempts were to no avail. This disappointed him as he wasn't sure if Miyu's shop was even open at the time. After all, it was Saturday, and Miyu might not have even bothered to open for the day.

"We're almost there, Megaman. Only a little bit further." Even though it was about to rain, the tone in Lan's voice had a hint of optimism in it. The Navi had noticed this, seeing that the boy's mood was starting to improve. He actually started to think that Lan was right in rushing to Miyu's shop. He was believing that Lan had the right idea to get there before anything happened to them...

But, his beliefs were soon crushed as the two boys saw something fall from the sky and crashed a block away from the intersection they were running past.

"Did you see that, Lan?"  
"Sure did. What do you think it..."

Lan stopped mid-sentence. He answered his own question in his head. 'No...it can't be...could it?' His head immediately turned towards the direction in which he saw the object crash. He could see a lot of smoke and other debris that was kicked up due to the impact of the object.

"Lan. What's wrong?"  
"Megaman...remember the last time something fell from the sky and crashed?"  
"You mean when Cannonman attacked SciLab?"  
"Exactly."  
"What are you getting..."

Now, Megaman understood what was wrong with Lan. 'He thinks that a copyroid just crashed.' And, just like Lan, Megaman turned his head and looked towards the direction in which the object had crashed. The smoke and debris was starting to clear up, but it was still relatively heavy.

"We better go check it out."  
"Right, Lan. Let's go."

They changed the direction in which they were running, shifting their bodies to the right and headed down the closest street they could find. Both Lan and Megaman we're already starting to get tired from the running they did to try and get to Miyu's shop. However, they figured that another block wouldn't hurt them. Besides, if this was what they thought it was, then they didn't have the time to stop and talk to Miyu.

The crashed was already taking it's toll. People were running along the sidewalks in the opposite direction of the crash site. Cars, trucks, and other vehicles were either stopped in the road, or driving away from where the object had crashed. There was definitely much panic and chaos caused by the crash.

It was only a few moments later when Lan and Megaman arrived on the scene. They discovered that the object had created a medium sized crater, about the same size that Gravityman caused during Nebula's existence. The duo ran to the edge of the crater to discover that the pod had already been opened, and no copyroid was found inside. Lan looked at Megaman with a sense of perplex, while Megaman looked at Lan with a sense of worry.

"Megaman. There's no copyroid."  
"That's strange...wait a minute. If it took us a minute to get here, then that means tha..."

Megaman was cut off mid-sentence as a small blade flew past his head. It made him flinch, but also instinctively dive and tackle Lan to the ground, making sure that he wasn't harmed by whatever threw the weapon. Lan, who was rarely tackled to the ground like that, became startled when it happened. He didn't notice why Megaman did it at first, but quickly saw the blade as it impacted the ground.

"Are you ok, Lan?"  
"Yeah. I'm fine. What happened?"  
"A blade flew past me. I just wanted to make sure you weren't hurt."

Megaman climbed off Lan as they heard a voice. "Be thankful that I missed. The next time, you won't be so lucky!" Megaman stood up completely and looked around, trying to find the source of the voice which was talking to them. He looked to the right, only discovering rubble and debris. He looked to the left, only to see the same thing. 'Where did that voice come from!' Megaman was starting to get upset.

'Wait a minute!' A thought popped into his head. He turned to face the spot on the ground where the blade had impacted. Quickly spotting it, he figured out the direction in which it came from. Hoping that he was right, Megaman turned and faced the opposite direction the blade was laying. His emerald green eyes spotted a figure on top of a small pile of debris, obviously caused by the copyroid pod crashing.

"Who are you? Show yourself!"  
"But, I have shown myself. Can you not see me?"  
"I can only see your outline. Show your face!"  
"Well...if you are THAT egger to see the face of your assassin, then I will comply."

The figure leaped from the hill of debris to the ground, about 10 feet away from Megaman. Even though there was no sun in the sky, it was still hard to see what this mysterious assassin looked like. As he landed, Megaman looked on with shock as the assassin resembled Shadowman.

"Sh...Shadowman...is that you?"  
"I can say with confidence that I am NOT Shadowman."  
"Then who are you? And, why are you attacking this city?"  
"I am Blademan, one of the UnderNet Mafia's top agents. The reason I am attacking DenTech City...is to bring the two of you out of hiding. It seems to have worked."

Megaman was not sure what Blademan meant by his statement. Did Blademan really know he was face-to-face with Megaman and Lan? 'No. He couldn't know. We've been careful not to let anyone know.' Megaman just couldn't fathom that Blademan knew who they were. It just didn't seem possible.

However, the figure in front of Megaman started to laugh. "You have a look of confusion on your face. Perhaps I can help put that to ease...Megaman and Lan Hikari!" Both Lan and Megaman, now standing next to each other, felt a deep feeling of dread. Both of them had the same thought. 'How does he know? Who could have known?' Neither of them had an answer to that question. Neither of them were certain as to how Blademan knew what they looked like. Neither of them knew what was going to happen to them now that the UnderNet Mafia knows what they look like. This situation was a lot for the both of them to get a grip on. All they could do was attempt to play dumb.

"W...w...Who are Lan Hikari and Megaman? I've never heard of them!" Megaman stuttered as he spoke, which made his stance of 'playing dumb' seem utterly futile. Blademan took note of this stuttering, and didn't take long to figure out what the other Navi was attempting to do.

"Don't play dumb with me, Megaman. I know who you and the kid are. It's useless to try and hide it!"

'He's right. Lan and I can't keep a act like that up forever.' Megaman seemed to be doing the majority of the talking thus far. Lan had taken notice of this, and decided by himself that he should be the one to start talking. The difference was that he wouldn't be talking with Blademan. No. He was going to talk with Famous.

Lan pulled his PET off of his arm and hit a few buttons. "Mr. Famous! Mr. Famous! Come in! We need you!" Megaman looked over his shoulder, which was a big mistake on his part. Blademan took advantage of the other Navi being distracted, and proceeded to throw several more short-blade knives at the duo in front of him.

"!" Megaman saw as one just barely missed his head, and, once again, dove to the ground, dragging Lan with him. He didn't want to look up, but he had to, with hopes that the last of the blades had missed him and Lan. With great hesitation, Megaman twisted his neck so that his head was facing in the direction of Blademan, only for his eyes to see that the UnderNet Mafia operative was not in sight.

"Lan. Are you alright?"  
"Yeah. I'm fine."  
"That's good. Hmmm...where did he go?"  
"I don't know. This guy is starting to get on my nerves."  
"Calm down, Lan. This isn't the time to get upset."

Suddenly, a voice was heard coming from Lan's PET. "Lan! What is going on? Respond!" The boy raised his PET so that his eyes could see who was calling him. He pushed a button on the device, resulting in an image of Famous appearing on his PET's monitor.

"Mr. Famous! We got trouble!"  
"Just Famous! What kind of trouble?"  
"Another UnderNet Mafia Navi got into a copyroid. We need a Dimensional Area."  
"Roger. Dimensional Area, deploy!"

It only took a few seconds, but a Dimensional Area appeared over the area where the copyroid pod crashed, covering the crater, and 2 city blocks. However, Megaman noticed that Blademan was still nowhere in sight. He was beginning to wonder if Blademan had put some distance between himself and Megaman, thereby escaping the Dimensional Area.

Luckily for him and Lan, that wasn't the case. "So. You called for a Dimensional Area to trap me. How clever. That will be the last mistake of your life, Lan Hikari!" Perhaps it was both fortuitous and ill-fated. Blademan was trapped inside the Dimensional Area, but his comment made Lan feel nervous. He had been in situations before in which his life was in danger, so this predicament was nothing new to him. However, in those cases, he always had CrossFusion as a tool to help him. Unfortunately, him and Megaman didn't get to SciLab in time. Therefore, the boy was still down a SynchroChip, making CrossFusion impossible at the moment for him.

"What do you want with us, Blademan? What did we do you to?"  
"Isn't it obvious, Lan Hikari? You stand between the UnderNet Mafia and world domination."  
"Sorry for the inconvenience, but I can't just let you take over the world."  
"You don't have a choice in the matter. Time to finish the job that Cannonman failed to: Assassinate Lan Hikari!"

With those final words, Blademan shot out from behind a large semi-truck and started his assault on the duo. However, he wasn't trying to take the both of them out. He was only after one of them.

"Lan! Get down," Megaman screamed as he attempted to push Lan down to the ground for the third time since they encountered Blademan. The sharp edge of one of Blademan's swords almost took Lan's arm off. Luckily for him, Megaman had dragged him to the ground quick enough to avoid most of the blade. However, the very tip of it nicked Lan's upper arm, just below his shoulder, cutting his shirt and causing a small wound to appear.

"Ahahaha! Your time on this planet is going to an end, Lan Hikari," Blademan said, not showing any restraint in his voice. He was getting overly-cocky, knowing that if he kept up his attacks, he would finally kill the famous Lan Hikari.

"Not today, Blademan. Megaman, let's do it!"  
"I'm ready, Lan. Let's take him down!"

Blademan only laughed at their display. "You cannot be serious. You expect to be able to take me down when you can barely stay on your feet? Ha-ha! You truly know how to make someone laugh!"

Megaman and Lan stood side by side, ready and willing to battle with Blademan. The both of them were not sure as to what attacks Blademan could perform on his own, let alone if we could use a Program Advance like Cannonman could. To them, it felt like they were fighting the Darkloids all over again.

However, Lan wasted no time in reminiscing about the Darkloids. "Let's fight blades with swords, Megaman. WideSword, BattleChip in. Download!" Lan had removed the WideSword BattleChip from his pocket and slotted it into his PET.

As the tiny chip downloaded it's data into the PET, Megaman's entire body started to glow. Lan found it to be strange, as with the WideSword, only his hand would glow before becoming the WideSword. The body glowing only lasted a few seconds. As it cleared, Megaman was no longer in his human world clothing. Instead, he was wearing his blue jumpsuit, helmet, backpack, shoulder pads, gloves, and boots. Lan couldn't put his finger on it, but it was like the BattleChip he inserted triggered some kind of clothing change.

But, Lan couldn't think about right now. Megaman needed his undivided attention so that nothing happened to him.

"Don't think that you will be able to use something as fragile as that against me!" Blademan charged forward with his own blade drawn. He and Megaman clashed, causing a small shockwave to emanate from the point of impact. The force from the shockwave almost threw Lan off of his feet, but he maintained his balance and stood ready to help Megaman when he needed it.

"A weapon is only a fragile as it's user, Blademan!"  
"Is that so? Then you must be extremely fragile, being the NetNavi of a human."  
"Our teamwork is what makes us as strong as we are! It's something you will never understand, Blademan!"  
"Oh, I understand it quite well. Without him, YOU are nothing! I say we prove my theory...here and now!"

As Blademan finished his challenge, he quickly pulled out a small dagger-looking blade. Megaman wasn't quick enough to evade it completely as it grazed his side. He only noticed it for a split second, but Megaman saw that there was no mark, no indication that something had just hit his side. His jumpsuit was not torn, nor was his structure breaking up.

Snapping out of it, Megaman quickly turned his attention back to the battle at hand.

"Your dirty tricks won't work that easily, Blademan. I'm too fast for them."  
"Are you, now? I find that...highly doubtful."

With a swift flick of his hand, Blademan freed himself from the deadlock he was in with Megaman, pushing the other Navi backwards, almost making him loose his balance and fall to the ground. However, Blademan was not done quite yet. He started to move his long blade around, almost as though he was making signs in the air.

Blademan smiled, the arrogance of his movements were painfully obvious to Megaman, who was not at all amused by the display. 'Is he taunting me? Is he waiting for me to make the next move?' Megaman couldn't make out exactly what Blademan was up to. 'Whatever it is, I have to stop it before he is done.'

"I don't know what you are planning to do with that, Blademan. But, I know I am going to stop you."  
"You really think so? I beg to differ."  
"I don't care what you think. I WILL end it now."  
"No, you won't."

Without any further conversations, Blademan stop the movements of his blade, as though he has just completed some type of ritual. No sooner after he stopped, Megaman felt something inside him. It wasn't a good feeling at all. It felt like...

"Ahhhh!" Megaman screamed in pain. He slowly fell to the ground. His body was starting to become heavier and heavier. He wasn't able to stand for long, as he was soon forced to his hands and knees by whatever unknown force was crippling him. Lan couldn't do anything but watch in fear. He didn't know what was happening to Megaman, and that is what terrified him the most.

Faster and faster, Megaman starting to lose the strength in his legs and arms. They began to tremble, forcing Megaman to use up what little strength he had left to keep himself from falling face-first into the ground below him. However, it was all to no avail. The Navi tried his best, but his arms and legs finally gave way, causing him to fall to the ground.

All the while, Blademan couldn't stop himself from laughing at the situation. "Ha-ha. Like I said, you won't take care of me. If anything, I'll have to get rid of you." The UnderNet Mafia operative just continued to laugh at the seemingly paralyzed NetNavi in front of him.

"Allow me to explain what happened. That dagger didn't need to pierce you. All it needed to do was touch you so that its Paralysis Program would enter your Navi program, thereby paralyzing you from head to toe! You are completely helpless, Megaman!"

Megaman tried to lift his head up, but his body just seemed too heavy. It was as if large cement blocks were placed on all of his body parts, disabling his ability to move. 'No...that can't be. There must be...some way out of this.' Perhaps the Paralysis Program didn't take full effect yet, or it was the Navi's will to move, but he was able to lift his head up just enough so that his chin was on the ground, enabling him to see Blademan, as well as follow his movement, to an extent.

"And, now. Without your NetNavi to protect you, it's high time we end this game of Cat and Mouse, Lan Hikari." Blademan's comment sent a shiver down Lan's spine, but he ignored it.

"I've been through worse and came out on top, Blademan. Give me your best shot!"  
"You will regret those words, Lan Hikari. Taste my blade!"  
"Bring it on!"

Without hesitation, Blademan drew his blade, which was holstered on his back, and charged at Lan full force. He moved with blazing speed, almost what seemed to be 150 miles an hour. However, Lan was able to keep track of Blademan's movements. All of the time Lan spent CrossFused, as well as practicing at SciLab during CrossFusion, seemed to have sharpened his sense of sight, enabling him to see something when it is moving fast.

Unfortunately, Blademan's movements were too fast for him to evade completely. He swung his blade at Lan, who was able to dodge most of the blow. However, the very tip of the blade caught on his leg, causing a slight cut to form. Lan hissed at the pain he now felt, but knew deep down inside that he had to ignore it. With Megaman paralyzed, he was on his own.

"You're quick, Lan Hikari. Much more quicker than we gave you credit for."  
"I guess I should thank you for the compliment. Sorry if I'm not in the mood for it."  
"Your arrogance will be your undoing, Lan Hikari."

Blademan quickly went in for another attack. This time, however, he moved at an even quicker speed, probably 20 percent faster than his first attack. This caught Lan off-guard, but his reflexes helped to keep him alive, as the edge of Blademan's attack just barely impacted the boy's cheek. Just like his leg, it caused a cut to form and start bleeding. The difference between the two cuts were their depth. The cut on Lan's leg wasn't deep and, therefore, was not bleeding much. The cut on his face, however, was deeper, and bled more than that of the cut on his leg.

"Lan...just run away. You can't win...again him!" Megaman tried his best to call out to his NetOp. After seeing Lan get injured twice already, he had no doubt in his mind that something far more serious wasn't too far off. He wanted, at least, for Lan to survive this encounter, even if he didn't. That's the way Megaman was. He wanted everything for Lan, and would sacrifice himself if he had to.

As the Navi laid there on the ground, he could see that his words did not reach Lan, or he simply ignored them, as the boy continued to try his best to evade Blademan's attacks. Each attack brought about a new cut on the boy's body. A few more cuts on his legs, some on his arms, and another on his other cheek. Some of them were deep, others were shallow. Each time Blademan's blade sliced Lan's skin, Megaman couldn't do much but look on with fear...and even anger

After sustaining multiple wounds, Lan finally fell to the ground. He tried his best to ignore all of the pain that the wounds caused, but it finally became too much for him. His body simply would not allow him to remain standing after the onslaught of attacks. Lan finally fell to his hands and knees. He could feel his arms and legs starting to grow weak, most likely from the amount of pain that he felt from his numerous wounds.

"Your frail human body cannot stand up to me."  
"You...you haven't won yet...Blademan."  
"Such a persistent little human you are, Lan Hikari. Perhaps it is time I end this now."

Megaman heard Blademan's words and tried one more time to reach out to Lan. "Lan! Get out...of here, now!" However, just like last time, his warning seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.

Unfortunately, Blademan heard Megaman's words, and simply laughed. "Ha-ha. Do you think he can actually get away from me? You underestimate the power of the UnderNet Mafia. And, that mistake will be your ultimate demise!"

Blademan held his arms out to his sides, and finally said the words that neither Megaman nor Lan wanted to hear during this battle. "CyberSword, upload! WideBlade, upload! LongBlade, upload! Program Advance...Life Sword!" _**(A/N: This is a Program Advance from the Battle Network games)**_ The Navi's arms quickly changed into their respective BattleChip data, only to start glowing as Blademan raised them above his head, thereby joining them to form the Program Advance.

"With just one swing of this sword, I can finally end your life, Lan Hikari, and the UnderNet Mafia will be one major step closer to taking over your world," Blademan said, with enough ego to fill the size of the crater where the Copyroid pod crashed. Lan was still kneeling on the ground, completely helpless.

'No...that can't happen. I have to do something!' However, Megaman couldn't do anything, it seemed. The Paralysis Program was still in effect, and he could barely move any of his body parts.

Suddenly, he felt something inside him. He couldn't quite sort it out in his head, but it felt like he was getting angry once again. But, it wasn't just anger. It felt like something else. It wasn't angry so much as it was...fury. Righteous fury.

To his surprise, he was able to slowly, but carefully, move his right arm. Knowing that there wasn't a lot of time left before Blademan used the Program Advance against Lan, Megaman quickly set an impulsive plan into action. He would only have one shot at this, so he needed to make it count. 'There isn't much time. I have to do this quickly.'

With the Life Sword almost fully charged, Megaman put his plan into motion. He dislodged his right arm from under his body, getting it to point in the direction of Blademan and Lan. The Paralysis Program was still taking it's toll on Megaman's body, and he found it hard to keep his arm steady. However, he needed to. Lan's life depended on Megaman's success.

He quickly turned his right hand into his MegaBuster. 'I only have one shot at this...I better not miss...I can't miss!' The Navi started to charge the MegaBuster, attempting to gather the energy for a Charged Shot. He knew a normal MegaBuster shot would do nothing against a solo NetNavi from the UnderNet. However, a Charged Shot might prove to be just enough to take Blademan's attention off of Lan and focus it onto Megaman. At least, that is what Megaman hoped for.

"This is where you say goodbye, Lan Hikari. The UnderNet Mafia prevails!"  
"No...this isn't the end. I don't loose this easily to the likes of you!"  
"You don't have a choice. Time to be torn apart, limb from limb, Lan Hikari!"

Blademan moved his arms back, ready to use the Life Sword. Lan closed his eyes and prepared for the worst possible outcome. The UnderNet Mafia agent started his swing of the weapon...

"Charged Shot!" Megaman's words caused the release of the energy built up inside his MegaBuster. The powerful orb of purple energy exited the firing chamber of the buster and went soaring towards Blademan. The Navi was caught completely off-guard. His face filled with shock as the Charged Shot impacted him, creating a disruption in his right arm, thereby causing it to lose form and fall off of the rest of his body. This inevitably caused the Life Sword Program Advance to collapse on Blademan's head, damaging his helmet, as well.

"AHHH! How dare you attack me! Wait...you can move your arm? How is that possible! You should have been completely paralyzed!"  
"You can't keep...this NetNavi down for...the count that easily...Blademan!"  
"Hmmm...perhaps we are still underestimating the both of you. I must commend you on overpowering my Paralysis Program."  
"Sorry if I don't seem very...appreciative of your compliment."  
"I hate to admit it, but you have bested me. I retreat now, but leave you this warning: So long as you both shall live, so shall the UnderNet Mafia hunt you down."

Blademan began to walk away from Lan. "Wait! Answer my question before you leave." Lan's statement was rather bold, as he knew that Blademan could still kill him in his current state. The Navi, however, did not seem interested in completing his mission at the moment.

"I suppose I can, Lan Hikari."  
"How many of you are after Megaman and I?"  
"..." Blademan stook silent.  
"Well? Aren't you going to answer me?"  
"...enough to keep you busy for years to come."

Yet again, Blademan's words sent a chill down Lan's spine. 'YEARS to come? Just how many agents does the UnderNet Mafia have?' Due to the troubles with the Darkloids months ago, Lan came to know that Stoneman and Blasterman were not the only solo NetNavis in the Cyberworld. With Blademan's recent statement, the boy could only imagine how many agents the UnderNet Mafia had.

Blademan lifted his left arm, the only one that was still attached to his body, and aimed it at a stoplight pole. There was a box on that pole, and Blademan knew it had a jack-in port. Deciding that staying in the real world was not in his best interest right now, he jacked into the Traffic Control System, leaving the copyroid to fall to the ground with a soft thud. The Navi figured leaving the copyroid there wasn't a bad thing. It was already damaged by Megaman thanks to his Charged Buster Shot. The damage made the copyroid practically unusable. It would have been a waste of resources to send for something to retrieve what remained of the machine.

"Lan! Are you...ok?" Megaman's voice was laced with worry, as he tried his best to move. The Paralysis Program seemed to be starting to wear off, but it still had Megaman partially immobilized. He could move his arms and legs, but he still didn't have the strength to stand on his own power. "Yeah...I'm fine, Megaman." Lan tried not to sound injured, but Megaman knew better. All of the wounds he got were more than likely causing untold pain.

"Megaman...are you still having trouble moving?"  
"Just a little. I'm sure it will...pass with time."  
"Maybe it would be best if you came back into the PET."  
"Lan? Are you sure?"  
"If you are having trouble moving...then going back into the PET will help, because you won't have to move. I can...carry you instead."

Megaman saw the logic behind Lan's thinking. The Paralysis Program still had a hold over the majority of his body, and trying to walk was most certainly out of the question. The Navi had serious doubts that, even if he could walk, he would be able to make it to SciLab under his own power. 'It's probably for the best.' With a nod of his head, Megaman's structure started to become pixilated. Only a split second later, his being vanished, re-appearing in Lan's PET.

While inside the device, Megaman attempted to move his body around. To his surprise, he was able to move his arms, legs, and other body parts around a little easier than a few moments ago. He still felt drained of his strength, and could only manage to sit on the floor inside the PET's Cyberworld. But, it was better than being stuck on his back or stomach and having to crawl around like a military private doing an obstacle course during Boot Camp.

"See? You look better already," Lan said, looking at his PET, which was laying on the ground next to him. The final blow from Blademan had knocked the device out of Lan's grip. Luckily, it wasn't damage at all during the fight. "I'm sure I look worse than I feel." Megaman's words brought about a smile on Lan's face. Megaman returned the smile as Lan finally mustered up the strength to stand on his feet.

With Blademan defeated, the Dimensional Area collapsed, allowing the duo to continue to SciLab.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Lan! What happened to you!"

Dr. Hikari took one look at his son, only to see that he had multiple cuts all over his arms, legs, and a few on his face. Needless to say, Yuichiro was worried beyond belief. He had never seen Lan so beat up like this. He recalled that his son requested a Dimensional Area 30 minutes ago, but figured that Megaman would be the one doing all the fighting.

"It's kinda hard to explain."  
"I have time right now, Lan."  
"...Well..."  
"I'm listening."

Lan took in a deep breath. He knew this was going to be a long story. "Well, Megaman and I were on our way here to pick up my new SynchroChip from you," Lan said, starting his story off. "We were at Miyu's shop 2 days ago, and she said that Megaman and I would be in danger 2 days from then, which was today. We weren't sure what she meant. So today, we decided to stop and ask her."

Lan paused during his story. His father's face showed a look of interest. The boy figured that his father wanted to know every little detail he could give him. He knew by now that when his father gave a look of interest, it wasn't so much that the topic was interesting, but that he wanted or needed to know the little details that were almost always left out.

Lan continued to speak. "On our way there, a copyroid pod crashed in the city. Megaman and I decided visiting Miyu could wait, and we went to the crash site. We met a new UnderNet Mafia agent, Blademan. They seem to be bent on killing me, because Blademan knew who I was, and what Megaman looked like in the real world."

"Wait, it isn't just Megaman? They want to KILL you, as well?"  
"Yeah. Apparently, just Megaman isn't enough for them."  
"Why didn't you tell me this, Lan?"  
"Well, I...I..."

Lan couldn't answer. Truthfully, he didn't want anyone to worry about him. He was normally the one that worried about everyone else. Truthfully, Lan hated it when people worried about him. He got enough of that from Megaman, worrying that he won't finish his homework on time, get to school on time, and all of the normal things the nagged Lan about.

Dr. Hikari looked at Lan's face, and saw his answer. "Nevermind. Continue on."

"Megaman was ready to fight. Blademan looked like Shadowman, but he wasn't the same. I sent Megaman a WideSword BattleChip to battle him. When I send him the chip data, it suddenly changed his clothing back to his Navi armor. It was the strangest thing."

Dr. Hikari's face now showed signs of intrigue. "His clothing changed?"

"Yeah, it did, Dr. Hikari. When Lan sent the chip, my body shimmered, and changed."  
"Megaman. Has this happened before?"  
"No. We've never had to fight anyone besides Cannonman up until now."  
"I guess that is something we can look into later. Let's let Lan continue."

"Anyway. They starting to battle. Blademan took out a small dagger and tried to stab Megaman with it. He missed, but it was never his intention to fully hit Megaman. He just needed the dagger to touch Megaman so that some kind of Paralysis Program would be downloaded. It worked, and Megaman fell to the ground. Then Blademan came after me, which is where I got all my cuts."

Dr. Hikari nodded his head understandingly.

"But, Megaman kept trying to move. I think he told me he got his right arm free, enough to form the MegaBuster and use a Charged Shot. He fired and it shot off Blademan's right arm. He said that he was beaten. Before he left, he told us..." Lan paused. He didn't like to think about what Blademan had told him. "...he told us that there are enough UnderNet Mafia agents to keep us busy..." Another pause. "...for years to come."

Yuichiro looked at Lan, then shifted his attention to the PET on his shoulder. It looked as if he was trying to see through the device and make eye contact with Megaman somehow. The look on his face changed, which wasn't all that hard to believe after such a story. His expression changed from one of interest to one of reassurance.

"That is quite a story."  
"It is, isn't it?"  
"About what Blademan said. I wouldn't worry too much about it, Lan. You and Megaman make a great team, along with your friends. You all work extremely well together. I have no doubt in my mind that no matter what the UnderNet Mafia has in store for you, the both of you will overcome it."

Lan felt like a great weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Just like the expression on his father's face, Lan felt reassured that nothing bad will happen. He now felt like he could take on the world and still manage to beat it.

"Oh, I almost forgot, Lan. Let's go get your new SynchroChip."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

The lobby of SciLab was just as quiet as ever. There weren't that many people around. Most of them were probably inside SciLab working on who knows what. Lan sat on one of the chairs, waiting patiently, which was a rare sight in it's own. He had just gotten his new SynchroChip from his father, which made him ecstatic. However, his father also took his PET into the NetNavi Recovery Room. He wanted to analyze Megaman to see how much longer the Paralysis Program would last, or if it could be removed. Lan wasn't worried at all about it. He knew that his father knew what he was doing, and was completely sure that Megaman would be better.

'He sure is taking his time. I wonder what's up.' Lan wasn't worried at all. However, he wasn't a fan of waiting long for stuff to happen. He was impatient, and that was finally starting to show. No longer able to take the waiting, he started to fidget around in his seat. For something that probably should have only taken a half-hour, his dad sure was taking his time with Megaman.

However, his movement started to cause him a little pain. After Lan got his new SynchroChip, his father took his PET to examine Megaman, then told Lan to go to the Medical Lab to get bandaged up, thereby making sure that his cuts didn't get infected.

"If you move around too much, you might undo those bandages." Lan, who was still fidgeting, jumped slightly at the familiar voice. He turned around to look behind him, his eyes meeting those of Chaud.

"When did you get here, Chaud?"  
"I've been here for a few hours now."  
"Really, that long?"  
"That's right. I was actually here when you requested the Dimensional Area."  
"Yeah. Megaman and I ran into a little trouble on our way here."

Chaud stared at Lan. He couldn't put his finger on it, but Lan saw something in Chaud's eyes that seemed to say that Chaud was...envious. He wasn't sure exactly what Chaud's eyes told him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Chaud was envious of him somehow.

"Oh, Chaud. I wanted to ask you something."  
"And, that is?"  
"Well...the copyroid incidents today and yesterday. Were you the one who handled them?"  
"Yes, I was. Raika was actually in the country when the first one crashed yesterday. However, I was closer to the sight, and was called to take care of it."  
"Raika was here? Why didn't you tell me?"  
"You were busy with your friends yesterday. It was your birthday, right?"  
"Oh, yeah."

It was a rare occurrence, but with everything that had happened today, Lan had briefly forgotten what happened the day before. 'Leave it to Chaud to remind me about when my own birthday was.' He snickered quietly to himself, thinking that whether Chaud knew it or not, he was more of a help than he let on.

"Oh. I wanted to thank you, Chaud."  
"You don't have to. I only did those missions because I was asked to."  
"No, not about that."  
"Then what about, Lan?"

Lan really didn't want to mention it. He wanted to thank Chaud for telling his father about what happened to his SynchroChip the day Cannonman attacked. Even now, it was something Lan didn't want to talk about. He still felt embarrassed that he got his SynchroChip crushed by Cannonman. He was ashamed to admit that something happened to the chip and that someone else had to tell his father about it.

Sucking up his embarrassment, Lan continued. "I wanted to thank you for telling my dad about what happened to my SynchroChip. I got a new one today. I guess I was so caught up in Megaman getting the M-Program, I forgot to mention it to my dad 3 days ago."

"You don't have to mention it, Lan. I knew that was going to happen."  
"Really?"  
"Really. If I were in your position, the same probably would have happened to me. Well, hanging out with Protoman, not getting my SynchroChip smashed."

Lan let out a slow growl, not quite out of anger, but out of being annoyed. Even after everything that they have been through, from Grave to Beyondard, Chaud never could seem to pass up the chance to boast some kind of superiority to Lan, even in the smallest of ways.

"Don't be upset, Lan. To tell you the truth...well..." Chaud paused in the middle of his statement. If he was the blushing type, his face would have turned red at this point. However, he wasn't, and rarely, if ever, blushed at all.

"...Well...I'm actually..." A sigh escaped his mouth and makes its way into the middle of his sentence. "...jealous...of you and Megaman." There. He admitted it. Now, everything was right in the world...right?

"Jealous? Of Megaman and me? But...why?"  
"It's just that...if what happened to Megaman when the M-Program was installed is exactly what would have happened to Protoman, and we knew about it, then Protoman would be the one here instead of Megaman."  
"Oh, I see. You're jealous because Protoman could have gotten the M-Program if you didn't back out."  
"Well, when you put it that way..."

Now, Lan wanted to laugh more than anything. Chaud always thought very highly of himself. He always thought of himself to be superior to Lan, in one form or another. But now, the tables were turned, Chaud Blaze, one of Japan's best NetSavers...was jealous of Lan Hikari.

Lan felt a laugh trying to force it's way out of his mouth, but manage to make sure that it stayed there. The last thing he wanted want to make Chaud upset. Even though the two of them sometimes got at each other's throats, they did care for the other. They didn't want to see the other get hurt in anyway. At most, their squabbles with each other were just horseplay, more or less.

Still, all of their joking and horseplay aside, they did look out for each other, which was evident, seeing that Lan was too caught up with Megaman being in the real world to have bothered telling his own father about what had happened to his SynchroChip. The two boys exchanged smiles, as Lan continued to wait for his father, or Megaman, to emerge from the interior rooms of SciLab.

It seemed they would both have to wait a little more. An hour had passed since Lan started to wait in the SciLab Lobby. Now, his impatience was starting to get the better of him, more so than before. Instead of just fidgeting in his seat, Lan finally stood up and started pacing back and forth in front of the row of seats his chair was a part of. 'What is taking so long back there? Was it really that serious?' If there was a time when Lan finally started to worry about Megaman during this whole ordeal, now was that time.

However, Lan's impatience was starting to wear on someone else's nerves. "Lan, could you not pace back and forth like that? It's becoming an annoyance." Chaud made sure he didn't hold back his feelings about the situation at hand. Lan's impatience never sat well with Chaud, as he found it to be an annoyance more than anything else.

"I'm just...worried. I'm worried because it is taking so long. Ugh!"  
"Calm down, Lan. Would you rather your father look at Megaman quickly and miss something, or look at him over a lot of time and miss nothing?"  
"...I guess you're right."

Lan let his head fall forward in a heavy sigh. 'This is taking too long. Where is Megaman?' Questions kept popping up in his mind. He started to wonder if the Paralysis Program was much more serious than they originally thought it was. Maybe it couldn't be removed? What if it will be with Megaman for the rest of his life? 'No! Stop thinking that! It won't happen!'

The sudden opening of sliding doors brought Lan out of his thoughts. He turned his head to see his father standing in the doorway that went to the interior rooms. He had a smile on his face. Lan knew that meant something went right, and if everything was right, that meant that Megaman was just fine.

"There you are, Lan. I was looking for you."  
"Dad! How's Megaman? His he alright? Will he be ok?"  
"Whoa there, son. Take it easy. All things in due time."  
"I'm just really worried about him. You took forever to get out here."  
"If you would just give me a few more moments, I can explain that."

This happened to be yet another time when Lan's impatience got the better of him, as he had waited a long time for his father to come out with news, and yet, he had to wait even longer before he would get the information he so desperately desired. However, given that he heard what Dr. Hikari said, Lan eased up a little bit, and allowed the time for his father to answer his questions.

"Well, first and foremost, Megaman will be just fine. I was able to remove the Paralysis Program from his NetNavi core," Dr. Hikari stated, obviously the beginning of a much longer speech. But, he continued. "However, he may experience some side effects every so often, but I don't think it is anything we need to worry about. The side effects won't last long, and will stop occurring over time."

"Well, that's a relief," Lan said, with a long sigh of relief. Things were finally starting to look up for Lan and Megaman. Now that whatever threat Miyu was talking about already happened, they could spend the rest of their day with Lan's friends and just hang out, probably at Yai's house, the normal get-together place.

"There is more, Lan. As a matter of fact, it has to deal with you." And, Lan's hope of a better day were just shot out of the sky.

"...What is it?"

"I know that you are probably excited that you got a new SynchroChip. You will be able to CrossFuse with Megaman. However, because Megaman is still suffering from the residual effects of the Paralysis Program, should you CrossFuse with him, you, too, may suffer from the residual effects of the program."

Lan looked up at his father, showing a little bit of disappointment, but understanding. "That's a bummer. I guess I'll have to wait until Megaman is all better, then." It was a disappointment. Truthfully, Lan couldn't wait for the next mission to come up that required the use of CrossFusion in order to close the case. He was really looking forward to it.

"In the meantime, you and Megaman should probably rest up. Here's your PET. It's in standby mode, right now. Just turn it back on and Megaman will be right there."  
"Thanks, dad. You're the best."  
"One more thing. He can still come to our world. The M-Program was not affected. So, once you turn the PET back on, he can leave it right away if he wants to.  
"Alright, dad. I'll remember that."

Lan happily took the PET from his dad's hand and placed it into it's holder on his upper arm. The two of them exchanged smiles and said their goodbyes as Dr. Hikari went back through the sliding doors, walking past them into the interior of SciLab. All the while, Chaud was still in the Lobby, watching and eavesdropping on Lan and Dr. Hikari's conversation. Neither of the two had even noticed that Chaud was still around. However, when Dr. Hikari left, he made his presence known to Lan.

"I guess I'll have to take all of your cases during this downtime of yours." Chaud was clearly trying to be his usual, cocky self. Lan turned around with a grin on his face, knowing what Chaud was doing. His hypothesis was confirmed when he saw Chaud with the exact same grin on his face. Just another example of their horseplay, yet understanding and caring for the other.

"Once Megaman and I are back in action, we'll make sure to leave a few cases for you."  
"I doubt that, but whatever you say, Lan."  
"Lan, be a little nicer to Chaud. He is your friend, after all."

The sudden appearance of Megaman's voice filled Lan with happiness. It seemed that Megaman decided to take the PET off standby so he could interact with Lan, as well as Chaud. The white-haired boy simply smiled, looked down, and started to walk away.

Lan saw this, and felt the need to say something. "See you later, Chaud. Don't work too hard on your next case. I don't want to have to clean up after you." Chaud didn't look back. But, he wasn't going to leave Lan's remark unanswered.

"Just make sure you and Megaman get better before I finish all _your_ cases."

Lan watched as Chaud went through the glass doors of the lobby, heading for SciLab's front gate. He laughed to himself, knowing full well that him and Chaud were just messing around, like they did during Nebula's existence.

"Ready to go meet Maylu and the others, Megaman?"  
"I'm ready, Lan. Let's go."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

The clouds were starting to break up a little bit. The blue of the sky above was starting to show through the puffy thickness. Lan was actually able to see a few rays of sunlight shine through the breaks in the clouds. To him, it seemed as though the day was going to be getting better and better from that moment on.

The boy was walking down the sidewalk in downtown DenTech City. Now that Megaman was going to be better and Blademan was defeated, Lan figured that nothing else could go wrong the rest of the day. He and Megaman was going to hang out with Maylu and the others for a while, then it would be dinner time, and then the day would be over.

"Hey, Lan. Mind if I walk with you?" Megaman's translucent hologram appeared on Lan's shoulder. By Lan's perspective, Megaman seemed to be feeling very well. He was able to stand on his own two feet, and even asked if he could walk with him. He know that Megaman wouldn't ask such a thing unless he was absolutely sure that he would be able to handle the situation.

"You don't have to ask me, Megaman. Just do it." Lan smiled while making his statement. The Navi looked at his NetOp's face and smiled back, disappearing from the shoulder he was on. Lan heard a few clicking sounds from his PET, looking to his left quickly to see pixilated boxes converge into a central spot, form into a person, then render themselves to show detail, making Megaman's materialization complete.

"!" Lan had just realized where he and Megaman were. Moreover, he realized what Megaman just did in the place they were at. With eyes wide, Lan whipped his head around, scanning the area to make sure no one took notice of what just happened. The last thing Lan needed was for Megaman to materialize in front of random people, thereby causing a scene, and probably a lot of panic. Luckily for the duo, no one seemed to have taken notice, or saw what happened, but dismissed it as nothing more than a hologram.

"Megaman! You need to watch where you do that!"  
"What Lan? All I did was come here."  
"I know that! But, look where we are."

Realizing what Lan was referring to, Megaman quickly felt ashamed and worried. Lan was right. The general public didn't need to see a NetNavi materialize in the real world. That notion in itself spelled out mass panic. Megaman looked around very slowly, only to come to the same conclusion as Lan.

"Sorry. I guess I wasn't really thinking about it."  
"Hey, it's no big deal. You don't have to beat yourself up over it."  
"I'm just use to moving between worlds when I want because no one is around to see it."  
"It happens to the best of us, Megaman."

"The day is not yet over." Lan and Megaman turned about at the sudden appearance of a voice that did not belong to either of them. Standing behind the two boys, hair braided and crystal ball in hand, was Miyu the fortuneteller. Her surprise entrance caught both Lan and Megaman off-guard. She seemed to be good at making her appearances random.

"Miyu! What are you doing here?" Lan was either upset or shocked. He couldn't decide which it was.  
"I'm here to make sure you don't forget."  
"Forget what?"  
"Forget about my prediction. I don't want to see you or Megaman get hurt."

The two boys looked at each other. What did she mean by that? They already faced Blademan and won. Wasn't her prediction fulfilled? Wasn't that attack the one in which they would have to fight for their lives? It sure seemed like it.

"Miyu...what exactly happens today?" Megaman's inquisitive voice showed hints of worry. If Miyu was still trying to warn them about her prediction, does that mean Blademan's attack wasn't the only one that was going to happen today?

"..." Miyu didn't answer right away. Her eyes set their sights on her crystal ball. She stared deep into the sphere. Her concentration was solely on the object in her hands. However, no matter how much she gazed into the ball, all she was Lan and Megaman being drawn into a dark void...an uncertain future.

"Come on, Miyu. Tell us already!" Lan finally decided on being upset at the situation. If Miyu's prediction was for something to happen today, and Blademan's attack was not that thing...then what was? Lan just had to know, especially since his fight with Blademan nearly cost him his life. If that wasn't the encounter where he was to fight for his life...then what was?

"There is a dark void. I see both of you being drawn into it. The void of uncertainty. All I can say is that you must use the utmost of caution."

The boys, once again, looked at each other, not letting their gazes move as Miyu slipped between them and continued to walk down the sidewalk, on her way to open her antique shop for the day. 'How I wish I could tell them. But, the void of uncertainty cannot be broken. They must find out on their own.' Miyu rounded a corner and disappeared from sight.

"Man. I hate it when people just appear and disappear like that!"  
"Calm down, Lan. Miyu is just looking out for us."  
"If she was, then why can't she tell us what is REALLY suppose to happen?"  
"She said that our future was uncertain. I guess that means she doesn't know."  
"What good is seeing into the future if you can't even..."

Lan's sentence was cut off, as he and Megaman both heard a loud crash. Whatever it was that crashed, it had enough force in it to make the ground shake. This part of town was under construction, new buildings were being built each week. But, it did seem strange. What could have fallen that would have such force as to cause the earth to shake? Both Lan and Megaman did find that odd, as their faces said the same thing to each other. It was very unlikely that some heavy piece of machinery would have fallen and caused the situation.

Unless...

"Megaman...Are you thinking what I..."  
"Yeah. I think I am."

The two looked around their surroundings. If they were right, that ground shaking could have only been caused by one thing: A copyroid pod.

If it was, in fact, a copyroid pod that crashed somewhere in the area, they needed to find it and get a hold on the situation before it escalated out of control. The only clear indication of where it crashed was the amount of smoke that would be created upon the copyroid pod crashing. The duo knew that the smoke is what they were looking for.

No sooner after they start their visual scanning of the area, Megaman spotted the smoke cloud.

"There it is, Lan. It's about 2 blocks west."  
"Right. Let's go, Megaman."  
"I'm right behind you, Lan."

Unfortunately for Megaman, his statement wasn't going to hold true for long. As they began their run to the crash site, Megaman started to fall behind. That in itself was very worrying, as he was able to keep up with Lan with little or no effort, most likely because he still retained some of his NetNavi strength in the human world.

He felt as if his legs were getting heavier and heavier the more he ran. The heavier they got, the further behind he fell. He tried to use all of his strength to press on and catch up with his NetOp. However, it all to no avail. The mystery weight finally got to be too much for the Navi, as he fell to his hands and knees.

Even though he was concentrating in getting to the crash site, Lan's ears told him something. Something was not right. Something was missing. He looked to his side to find that Megaman was not there. He stopped his legs from running and looked behind him. Sure enough, he saw Megaman on the ground.

"Megaman! What happened?"  
"I...I don't know. My legs started to feel really heavy. I...I think it's the side-effect of the Paralysis Program from Blademan."  
"Come back to my PET, then. That seemed to help last time."  
"No, I'll be fine. It's starting to go away."

And, that was the truth. It was starting to diminish; he wasn't just trying to get Lan to believe something that wasn't true, as Megaman believed that he wasn't anyone to worry about.

More and more, the paralysis diminished from his being, granting him the ability to stand up on his feet once more. It seemed that the more he tried to move now, the more the paralysis diminished for him. It took a few moments, but Megaman was finally able to stand on his feet completely, and with balance.

"Are you SURE you are ok, Megaman?"  
"I'm fine, Lan. Let's get going."

Putting their conversation on hold, the pair started to run towards the crash site once more. They still had another block to cover before they got to where the copyroid pod...well...what they think is a copyroid pod, crashed. Lan continued to look at Megaman intermittently, making sure that the side-effects of the Paralysis Program didn't kick in again, thereby forcing the Navi to drop to his hands and knees again...or worse.

However, it seemed that Megaman was right. He was starting to move more freely. He wasn't showing any signs of tiredness, as that is what Megaman would have shown if he felt like he was dragging cement blocks on his feet. Instead, he was able to keep up with the pace that Lan was running. It seemed as though the temporary paralysis finally wore off.

The two continued to run to the crash site. But, it did seem awkward. Everyone else that was in the area was running away or attempting to drive away from whatever impacted that earth. Lan and Megaman seemed to be the only ones trying to get to the crash site. Needless to say, it was something that they had been use to by now.

"Over there, Lan. That's where the object crashed."  
"I see it. Let's go take a look."

Climbing over a small mound of asphalt, the two boys were able to get a look at what was in the center. Sure enough, just like they both had thought, it was a copyroid pod. The only problem was that there was no copyroid inside. Did the UnderNet Mafia send a dud? No, that can't be right. Unless...

A blast of energy came screaming at the duo. Megaman heard the noise and grabbed Lan, dragging him down and into the crater, just out of the impact site of the blast of energy. They rolled down the small hill and into the center where the copyroid pod rested. Another blast of energy came at them. Luckily, that shot was not aimed properly, and missed them both completely, by quite a margin.

"Lan! Are you alright?"  
"Yeah. I'm fine."  
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"  
"Yeah. Only one NetNavi has that ability."

With their heads nodding with the other in agreement, Lan and Megaman stood up in the crater, gaining their balance and walking up the small hill and out of the pit. Oddly enough, there were no other blasts of energy while they walked out. It was as if whoever was behind the 2 attacks just wanted to use those attacks to get Lan and Megaman's attention, which seemed to have worked.

As they rounded the top of the hill, their hypotheses were confirmed, as Cannonman stood several feet away, seemingly waiting for the pair to emerge from the crater.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Lan Hikari. It's been a while, hasn't it?"  
"If only it lasted much longer."  
"How I missed that cynical tone of voice."

A low growl escaped from Lan's throat. It was bad enough that he had to deal with a evil NetNavi, but to have to deal with one who also tries to break his concentration with insults meant that this fight would be much more difficult than it needed to be. Although Lan tried to keep his cool, he never really was able to stay calm when insults were flung at him.

Cannonman looked at at the pair. "And you. You picked the wrong time to be in this place. You better keep your distance if you wish to not share in the same fate as Lan Hikari." Cannonman was obviously referring to Megaman, who was the only other person present at the time. But, the UnderNet Mafia agent's statement was somewhat perplexing. Did he not know what Megaman looked like in the real world?

"Personally, I think I am in the right place at the right time."  
"You talk tough...for a human."  
"I'm not just a mere human to you."  
"I don't care what you are to me. Don't make yourself regret your words."  
"One thing you should know about me, is that I don't have regrets when it comes to the likes of you."

Cannonman just laughed at Megaman's statement. "Ha-ha! Well then. I guess it's never too late to learn!" Showing as much ego in his voice, Cannonman continued to laugh at the situation. Megaman was about ready to use a Charged Shot on the other Navi just to get him to shut up. However, Megaman tried to keep his emotions in check, lest he want to put Lan in any danger thanks to some reckless action.

Only a few moments later, Cannonman stifled his laughter. "So, you want to take me on, eh? I can assure you. That will be the last mistake you EVER make!" With lightning speed, Cannonman lifted his left arm and pointed a Cannon at Megaman, taking quick aim as he fired off a round. Megaman quickly pushed Lan aside, making him fall to his right, while the Navi jumped to his left to evade the shot. He dodged the energy with ease, much more ease than he wanted to.

By Cannonman's comments, Megaman had figured that the other Navi had no idea what he looked like in the human world. He came to this conclusion since Cannonman did not address Megaman by his name. It seemed as though Cannonman thought that Megaman was just one of Lan's human friends who happened to be hanging out with him. He wanted to use that misinformation to his advantage to hide his own identity. But, that wasn't all. He also found it strange that Blademan did not give the UnderNet Mafia a description of him, which would have made it much easier to track him down.

Still, he needed to keep his attention on the battle at hand. "I must say...for a human, you sure are quick on your feet. But, I will soon fix that, by making sure you don't have feet to be quick on!" Cannonman continued to shoot at Megaman with the Cannon BattleChip data he was still using on his left arm.

Shot after shot, Cannonman missed Megaman. Shot after shot, Megaman was able to easily avoid whatever the other Navi was able to dish out. Shot after shot, Lan watched Megaman narrowly escape the blasts from Cannonman's left arm cannon.

"You can't take me down that easily. Either I am too fast for you, or you are too slow for me."  
"Big words from such a fragile being. I will make you regret your coming here."  
"I don't see that happening, since you can't even hit me."  
"I don't want to admit it, but you are right. Let's spice this up a bit!"

As if it was like clockwork, Cannonman uploaded the Hi-Cannon BattleChip onto his right arm and shot several rounds out into the city, hitting several buildings in the process. All the while, he was still shooting at Megaman, who was running circles around Cannonman, trying to avoid his vicious attacks.

Lan saw Cannonman's plan, and took his PET out of it's holder. "Mr. Famous! Come in, Mr. Famous!"

"Famous, just Famous!"  
"I need another Dimensional Area!"  
"Don't tell me..."  
"Yeah. Another copyroid. It's Cannonman."  
"Roger. Sending a Dimensional Area now."

Lan looked on in horror as Cannonman shot several more rounds from his Hi-Cannon into the city, striking several different buildings than the ones hit by the first wave of attacks. Luckily for Lan, Famous was on top of things and launched the Dimensional Area just in time to stop Cannonman's third wave of attacks.

Cannonman ceased his attacks momentarily. "I should have expected this. Lan Hikari had to called in for a Dimensional Area. I guess this is the part where you CrossFuse with Megaman. Well, we cannot have any of that, can we?" As quickly as he was firing, Cannonman moved both of his arms and aimed them at Lan, ready to fire at the boy standing 20 yards away. Lan almost froze in place as he stared down the barrels of both a Cannon and Hi-Cannon.

"Lan, move!" Megaman called out to Lan, hoping that it would release whatever trance had a hold of the boy. It worked, but it seemed to have been a hair too late. Cannon fired his weapons at Lan, with all the intent in the world to finally kill him. But, fate seemed to have smiled on him, as Megaman jumped into the path of both of the shots, trying to protect Lan anyway he could.

"No, Megaman!" Lan had to quickly think of something. Megaman would surely take a lot of damage from those 2 attacks combined. He had to think of something quickly if he didn't want to have to bring Megaman back to SciLab so that he could get repaired. 'No! I have to do something!'

"Barrier, BattleChip in. Download!" Lan quickly grabbed the Barrier BattleChip and put it into his PET, thereby downloading the data to Megaman. In the blink of an eye, the chip data went into effect, forming a barrier in front of Megaman, protecting him from the blasts of energy that Cannonman had launched towards him. Megaman's clothing had once again changed to that of his Navi armor.

Cannonman look on with shock. "That is not possible! No human can use BattleChip data like that! Unless..." Now, it finally came together for Cannonman. He finally figured out just who exactly he was dealing with. "Well, then. I guess I should kick this up a notch, right...Megaman!"

'Damnit. Cannonman knows that's Megaman now.' Lan wanted to beat himself up over what he just did, but also thank himself at the same time. He saved his NetNavi from certain harm, but he also just revealed what Megaman looks like to Cannonman.

"Now, I am intrigued. How is it that a NetNavi can be in the real world? Are you using a copyroid?"  
"Thats for us to know, and you to find out!"  
"Don't think I won't, Megaman. You're secrets will belong to the UnderNet Mafia!"  
"Not if I have anything to say about it."  
"You don't have a choice in the matter!"

Cannonman knew full well that he would have trouble trying to shoot through the barrier. So, instead, he decided to go with a different approach. With just as much speed as Blademan, Cannonman ran around to behind Megaman and aimed his Hi-Cannon arm at the Navi with just as much speed. Lan didn't have another Barrier BattleChip with him, and once placed, a barrier cannot be moved by the NetNavi who used the data. Megaman needed to come up with something and fast.

"Say goodbye, Megaman!" Cannonman charged up his Hi-Cannon, ready to released the energy building up inside. To Cannonman, this seemed to be the final moments for the NetNavi standing in his line of fire. He was going to get a high commendation from the Mafia for disposing of the great Megaman. This could have been the best moment in his entire life. If only...

"Area Steal, BattleChip in. Download!" No! He was so caught up in deleting Megaman that Cannonman had completely forgotten about Lan. Realizing this too late, he released the energy that had built up inside his Hi-cannon, only to see it hit the inside of the barrier before dispersing. Naturally, Megaman was not there to be on the receiving end of the attack.

"That was a close one, Lan."  
"The job isn't done yet, Megaman."  
"Right. Send me something good."  
"ElectroSword, BattleChip in. Download!'

With his right arm shimmering every so lightly, Megaman's right hand turned into a small nub, from which a blade of electricity emerged. Noticing that Cannonman had no idea where Megaman had gone to using Area Steal, the Navi figured that now was the perfect time to strike if he wanted to get this fight over with before Lan got injured. Making sure he didn't lose this chance, Megaman decided that he should charge full force in an attempt to destroy the copyroid body and maybe...

But, something started to feel wrong. Something inside Megaman was starting to prevent him from moving. 'No...not now. Not yet. Not here.' His legs were starting to feel weak and heavy. His arms were feeling the same. He felt extremely light-headed, almost like he was going to pass out at any moment. He didn't need to be told what was happening to him. He already knew. More of the Paralysis Program's side effects were starting to take hold on his body. And, to top it all off, it couldn't have happened as a worse moment.

Lan looked at Megaman, trying to process why he was just standing there. "Megaman! Do something while you have the chance!" Cannonman was still distracted, but Lan's yelling might have given Megaman's position away. Luckily for the boy, Cannonman still scanned the area with his eyes, still oblivious to the fact that Megaman was only 20 yards behind it.

"Lan...I can't. I can't...move by body." Megaman finally lost what little strength he had left, falling down to his hands and knees, which wouldn't last long if his strength kept getting sapped from him. He tried his best to at least keep his head up and not look down at the ground. It didn't seem to work, as his light-headed feeling made him dizzy, seemingly forcing his head to look towards the ground with no hope of looking up until it passed.

"You have to move, Megaman. You can't pass this opportunity up!"  
"Lan! I just...I...I can't move!"

And it finally happened. Megaman's arms and legs gave way to the weight of his body, falling to the ground with a loud thud. Cannonman heard the sound, and finally turned his being into the direction in which Megaman was laying on the ground. Cannon was actually confused as to why the other Navi was laying on the ground, apparently helpless and in a motionless state.

Until it finally hit him. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! I see that Blademan's Paralysis Program is still taking it's toll on you, Megaman. Maybe you should have stayed in your PET instead of challenging me once more."

He was right. Megaman knew that if he didn't leave his PET, then Lan would have used CrossFusion in order to take on Cannonman. But, that in itself also presented the rest of Lan becoming affected by the Paralysis Program side-effects. As far as Megaman could figure, this was turning into a lose-lose situation rather quickly, and that terrified him down to his core.

And, even more terrifying that him realizing the situation at hand was Lan's next comment. "Megaman, come back to the PET. We're going to CrossFuse and fight Cannonman."

"Lan, no! We can't. Not with me...like this."  
"We don't have a choice, Megaman."  
"Don't do it...Lan. It's way too Dangerous."  
"I know it is, but we don't have any other options!"

Was Lan right? Was this really the ONLY way they could defeat Cannonman? Megaman's head was flooded with these thoughts, but he didn't have the concentration to focus on just one at a time. In fact, he couldn't concentrate at all. He felt completely drained of any strength, both physical and mental.

Without warning, Megaman felt a swift kick in his side, sending him into the air several feet. "Ahhhh!" He screamed out in pain from the sudden assault. As he was about to crest, he spotted Cannonman next to the spot where he just was, giving off a sinister grin. Megaman's limp body finally crested, plummeting to the ground, causing more pain than the initial kick from Cannonman caused.

"Ahhh!" Megaman was breathing heavily. He couldn't take much more of this. If he wasn't paralyzed, he wouldn't have so much trouble with the pain. However, the side-effects of the Paralysis Program were just too much for him.

"Megaman! Come back to the PET so we can CrossFuse!"  
"No, Lan! I refuse...to put you at such...risk. I'll be fine."

"If only your NetOp could say the same. Goodbye, Lan Hikari. Time to die!" Cannonman quickly uploaded the Mega-Cannon BattleChip, causing his left arm to take form. However, instead of aiming at Lan, he aimed upward, towards a building. What purpose could that serve? Unless...

Lan looked on, now in shock, as Cannonman opened fire. The blast from the Mega-Cannon caused a large explosion on the building, blasting away what looked to be a story and a half of outer walls, as well as several areas inside. Lan covered his eyes as the smallest of particles fell down from the point of impact, making sure to protect his vision. However, it might have been better if he was looking as large pieces of debris began to fall right above him.

"Lan...move! Run!" Megaman screamed at his NetOp to move. At the rate the debris was falling, Lan didn't have much time to get out of the area where the debris was going to fall. He didn't have much time to leave before something seriously bad happened to him.

However, Lan was in shock, unable to move as the debris came tumbling down.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

**_Oh, wow! That was one HUGE chapter to type out, over 16,000 words total! That's more than my research report I had to do for English 102. Talk about a LONG type, let alone a long read for you guys!_**


	12. Chapter 12: Shocking Developments Pt 2

**_Here it is! The second part of "Shocking Developments!"_**

**_This Chapter will have several flashback sequences, which will be shown as italicized text. Some will be long. Some will be short. All of these flashback sequences will be Megaman's, but will be written in the third-person._**

**_Enjoy!_**

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Chapter 12 – Shocking Developments Pt. 2

The room was an interior room. There was little light inside, as there were no windows and the fluorescent lights were dimmed. It gave off an eerie feeling for anyone who would walk inside. Although it was an interior room, the rain outside could still be heard. It was raining heavily, much more heavier than it did for this time of year. Various other sounds could be heard from the many different machines in the room.

Megaman sat in the room, silent. His mood had not changed over the past 5 days. 5 days...he was in that exact room for 5 days straight. He had never left, not even to eat, sleep, or take a shower. He couldn't stand being anywhere else at the time. He couldn't think of even being more than 10 feet from what was in front of him. His eyes were completely fixed on the only person who he ever truly loved in this world, the only person who understood him more than any other human or NetNavi could, the only person who gave him a sense of happiness, a sense of appreciation, a sense of purpose.

'...Lan...'

Megaman couldn't stand to see Lan the way he was. Just laying in a hospital bed, completely motionless. The sight alone was just tearing at Megaman from the inside out. He just couldn't bare seeing him like that. It was just such a sad sight for him to look at. What made it even sadder was that he was actually getting use to it. The first few days, Megaman found himself crying at the very sight. Now, it was as if it didn't phase him anymore. It was as if he had finally come to terms with the reality of the situation. But, at the same time, it just felt too surreal, like it was all a bad dream. Megaman half-expected to walk up inside his PET, being told that no M-Program existed, ultimately meaning he would be stuck as a plain old NetNavi for the rest of his life, never able to touch Lan again.

'No...I can't think that. He will walk up!' Megaman leaned forward and took a hold of Lan's left hand. It was still warm to the touch. This feeling did reassure Megaman to an extent. Lan had been unconscious for 5 days now. He had several IVs sticking out of his arms. One of them was some kind of pain killer, another was some liquid that would keep Lan hydrated, and another was supplying his body with nourishment. Megaman couldn't figure out what the fourth one was for. It had a name on the bag, but it was in medical terminology, which the Navi did not understand. He could only assume that it was something that would help keep Lan's condition stable until he finally awoke from his semi-coma.

Despite the painful sight, the warm feeling Megaman got when he took a hold of Lan's hand showed that the boy was still alive. It showed that there was still a chance that Lan would eventually walk up from his motionless slumber. But, most important of all, it showed Megaman hope. The Navi focused on that, as it was the only thing that he could really hold onto right now.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

_As the debris fell to the ground, Lan found himself being snatched up in someone's arm and quickly moved out of the falling debris' path. Lan's eyes were closed tight. He couldn't bare to open them, as he was prepared for the worst possible outcome. It took him several movements to realize that he was no longer under the falling objects and had been moved to another location within the Dimensional Area, almost completely out of harm's way._

_Finally finding the courage to look, he opened his eyes to find that he wasn't where he thought he was only moments ago. Looking around with a confused expression on his face, he discovered that someone had taken a hold of him and moved him to safety. Looking from his position, which happened to be sitting on the ground, Lan discovered that it was Chaud that had rescued him._

"_Chaud? When did you get here?"  
_"_Gee, your welcome. And, I came here after I got word that you requested another Dimensional area."  
_"_Where's Megaman! Is he alright?"  
_"_The Paralysis Program's side-effects still have a hold of him. But, he is fine."_

"_Well, well. If it isn't Japan's top NetSaver, Chaud Blaze. What a hero." Cannonman was both surprised and glad to see Chaud enter the fray. His first mission failed with Megaman defeating him. To Cannonman, it appeared as though fate was dealing him a second chance, and he was about to take advantage of it anyway he could._

_Taking that into account, Cannonman aimed his left arm, which was still a Mega-Cannon, and took a shot at CrossFusion Protoman. The blast impacted a mount of debris behind Chaud, as he was more than fast enough to evade the attack. However, Lan was still in the surrounding area of the blast, and felt the resulting shockwave from the explosion. He was thrown off-balance while trying to stand up, resulting in the boy falling back to the ground._

_Megaman still laid on the ground, still unable to move, still thanks to the Paralysis Program's side-effects, still unable to help Lan when he needed it most. Luckily, the Navi was still able to move his head around, thereby giving him the ability to look around the area, if only a little bit. He saw Chaud run in and grab Lan, which put his own mind at ease, knowing that Lan was safe. However, the shot from Cannonman looked like it hit Lan when Chaud evaded the strike. This worried Megaman once more, as all he could do was look on, unable to take any action._

"_Attacking a human when you know they cannot defend themselves. Can you honestly say you are proud of that, Cannonman?"  
_"_My pride is of none of your concern, Chaud Blaze! Your fate is the same as that of Lan Hikari's."  
_"_I wonder about that, seeing as I have the upper hand."  
_"_Wonder what you want. The end result will be the same!"_

_Megaman continued to watch as Chaud and Cannonman continued their assault on one another. Their exchange of words had already ended as they were now letting their physical attacks do the talking for them. Chaud had downloaded the VariableSword BattleChip and was attempting to hit Cannonman from a distance using his Sonic Boom attack. Cannonman had a similar plan in mind, as he uploaded 2 Hi-Cannons onto his arms, shooting off rounds as he dodged Chaud's Sonic Booms._

_Several of the attacks made contact with each other, causing several more explosions, which shook the ground, making it even more difficult for Lan to stand up on his feet. It was hard enough for him to try and stand without the ground shaking, as he was still in a bit of shock from nearly loosing his life to falling debris._

_Megaman's eyes left the scene of Chaud and Cannonman's battle as he looked in the direction of his NetOp. 'Lan...he's ok. That's good to know.' Megaman, once again, felt at ease knowing that Lan was safe and had once again avoided getting in the middle of what looked to be a rather intense battle._

_Despite the felling that a great weight was lifted off of his shoulders, Megaman was still not able to move any other part of his body, besides his head. To the Navi, the paralysis side-effects this time around seemed to be worse than when it was the actual program. Megaman tried as best as he could to move his arms and legs, but, even now, it was still to no avail._

_Chaud continued his assault on Cannonman, as Cannonman did the same to Chaud. Both were still using ranged attacks as they attempted to gain the upper hand. Lan was finally able to get on his feet, and began to wonder why Chaud was trying to keep a distance between himself and Cannonman. Since the other Navi could only use attacks that were ranged, getting up close and using a sword-type weapon would have given Chaud the advantage he needed to win. So, why wasn't he doing that?_

_The two fighters ceased their attacks momentarily._

"_I hate to admit it, but for a human, you put up quite a fight."  
_"_Gee, thanks. I'll have to remember that next time."  
_"_Sadly for you, there will not be a next time, Chaud Blaze."  
_"_Says you. It takes but one arrogant comment to seal a person's fate."  
_"_Don't screw with me, Chaud Blaze! Your fate is sealed!"_

_Cannonman, without knowing what he was doing, began to charge forward towards Chaud. During his charging assault, Cannonman was also firing off rounds with his Hi-Cannons, all of which were either evaded by Chaud or sliced in half with his VariableSword._

"_Cannonman, I think it's time we end this little scuffle. HeroSword, BattleChip in!"  
_"_Don't think for a minute I will let you win that easily. Hi-Cannon, upload. Program Advance. Zeta-Cannon!"_

_Cannonman's hands shimmered a radiant white light as he combined the Hi-Cannons into the Zeta-Cannon Program Advance, all the while Chaud took the opportunity to charge forward with his VariableSword and HeroSword both at the ready. 'This is what I was waiting for. Catch him off-guard while he charges up his Program Advance!' Chaud's planning made him get a little full of himself, a feeling that he often had._

_However, his carefully laid out plan crumbled as Cannonman charged up the Zeta-Cannon much more quickly than Chaud had thought. 'What! How can he be done already?' It normally took 10 or so seconds before the Zeta-Cannon would be fully charged up. How was Cannonman able to do it in such a short amount of time?_

"_You have a surprised look on your face, Chaud Blaze."  
_"_How did you charge the Zeta-Cannon up so quickly?"  
_"_Well...that's for me to know and you to find out."  
_"_Answer me!"  
_"_If you insist. I was compiled from all kinds of Cannon, Hi-Cannon, and Mega-Cannon data. I am the Master of their Program Advances. It takes me only 20 percent of the normal charge time to fully charge it up!"  
_"_I see. Because your Navi data is so similar to the BattleChip data, it is easy to manipulate."  
_"_A conclusion only the top Japan NetSaver, Chaud Blaze, could make. And, a correct one it is. You are out of your league, Chaud Blaze!"_

_Megaman peered is vision towards the voices his ears heard. He only got a look at Chaud and Cannonman briefly before Cannonman unleashed the power of the Zeta-Cannon, aiming it directly at Chaud. The vast orange colored beam swirled around as it made it's way from the barrel of the cannon to it's destination. Chaud remained motionless as the swirling orange energy made it's way towards him._

"_Chaud! Do something...quickly!" Megaman tried his best to yell as loud as he could, attempting to reach out to Chaud before he became a victim of Cannonman's onslaught. Chaud quickly returned back to reality, only to see the Program Advance coming towards him in full force._

_He had to think of something, and quick. It was too late to try and evade the blast from the Zeta-Cannon. "Shit! LifeAura, BattleChip in!" Chaud's desperation had saved his hide, as a LifeAura appeared around him, deflecting the Zeta-Cannon attack away. The orange energy bounced off of the LifeAura and went into a different direction._

_Unfortunately, the direction in which the Zeta-Cannon attack was now heading also happened to be in the general direction in which Lan was located. Megaman's eyes trailed the orange energy wave, as, from his point of view, was going to make contact with Lan. 'No...NO! Not that way!'_

"_Lan! MOVE AWAY," Megaman cried out as the energy wave got closer and closer to him. Chaud stood inside the LifeAura, knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to get to Lan in time. He was completely motionless and speechless. He didn't even want to be looking in Lan's direction. Just the thought of witnessing what could be the boy's end forced him to close his eyes behind his visor._

_Lan stared at the energy wave, shocked that it was even heading in his direction. Luckily, he snapped out of his shock, eyes wider than a computer screen, and jumped to his left, completely avoiding the attack that was coming his way. Megaman breathed a quick sigh of relief, seeing that the Program Advance had missed Lan._

_However, that sigh of relief was about to change._

_The energy from the Zeta-Cannon exploded as it hit the ground to the right of Lan. The explosion was intense, as to be expected from the amount of energy that was released when Cannonman fired the shot. Not only did the impact cause the resulting explosion, but it also caused a large amount of already fallen debris to be hurled into all different directions. That included the direction in which Lan had jump to avoid being hit by the energy._

_Chaud finally opened his eyes behind his visor and watched on with Megaman at the horror that unfolded before them. A large piece of what looked like wood from an office desk went Lan's way from the explosion that occurred only seconds beforehand. The speed at which the piece of wood was moving could have easily been estimated to have been 30 miles an hour. Lan didn't see what was happening, and didn't know what was about to happen. He stood up, only to have the piece of wood barrel down on him, smashing against the right side of his head, causing what had to have been untold pain, along with breaking his skin, resulting in a gashing wound. Lan's body was still for a moment, then fell to the ground, out of Megaman's sight._

_'Lan...no...' Megaman's eyes were ready to erupt in tears. That impact from the debris probably killed Lan, for all he knew. It all happened so suddenly, and Megaman could kill himself for not being able to help the boy. He cursed his complete and utter helplessness._

"_Lan, NOOO!" Chaud could do nothing but scream at the top of his lungs. After witnessing the exact same thing that Megaman did, Chaud couldn't help but feel the exact same way that Megaman was feeling; helpless._

"_HAHAHA! What happened here? Did poor Lan Hikari just DIE from that piece of wood? How convenient!"  
_"_How the hell can you laugh at that? He could be DEAD!"  
_"_Which would be music to my ears, as my mission would then be complete!"  
_"_You heartless bastard! I'm taking you down!"  
_"_Not today, Chaud Blaze. Today, the day of Lan Hikari's demise, is over. I bid you...adieu."_

_Cannonman quickly thrusted his hands towards a nearby piece of machinery that appeared to still be working. Chaud broke his LifeAura and charged at the UnderNet agent full force, sword drawn and ready to delete. However, he was too late. A beam of red light emitted from Cannonman's hands as he jacked into the machinery. Chaud's attack struck the leftover copyroid, slicing through it like a knife through butter._

_'Lan...Lan...' Megaman couldn't move his eyes from the direction in which Lan had fallen. Even though he didn't move his gaze from Lan's direction, he heard Cannonman's comment, and feared that the worst had happened. He feared that Cannonman was right, and that the wood which hit Lan over the head had ultimately caused the boy's untimely death. Megaman was still in shock. He didn't even realize that the Paralysis Program's side-effects were wearing off._

"_Lan! Lan! Say something!" Chaud had ran over to Lan's body. He, like Megaman, was also fearing the worst for the boy. He yelled into his ear and slapped his face. All of which gained no response from him. Chaud was running out of ideas on what to do. All of the fighting and the initial shock of seeing what happened when Lan got impaled by the wood were still settled into Chaud's mind and body. He put his index and middle fingers together and placed them at the top of Lan's neck, just below the jawline._

_Megaman, who was still fearing everything that could happen, finally realized that he could move his body, but only slowly. If he moved too fast, he might have a relapse, therefore making things much more difficult than they already were. He steadily got up and made his way over the rubble scattered throughout the area to where he heard Chaud's voice._

_It only took him a few moments, but he arrived at his destination, only to be in for more shock than what had already happened. He saw Lan in Chaud's arms, who was checking the boy's vitals. But, it wasn't that sight which shocked him. It was the amount of blood that was running down Lan's head from the wound that he received after the piece of wood hit him over the head._

"_He still has a pulse. But, he is losing blood fast. We have to get him to a hospital. Let's go, Megaman!"_

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Megaman sighed, still holding onto Lan's hand. Him remembering what had happened only 5 days earlier only made him feel worse than before. It was bad enough to have to see Lan the way he was, but remembering how Lan got this way made Megaman feel as though he was still powerless to help the boy in front of him. He tried his best to hold back a few oncoming tears, as the memory of the fight only made Megaman worry more about Lan's current condition.

The day him and Chaud brought Lan in, the doctors had taken him into an operating room for emergency surgery. They needed to stitch up his head wound, as well as fix a small fracture in the boy's skull, most likely caused by the impact from the wood. For the rest of that day, as well as the next day, Lan was on several other machines, two of which were tubes that went down his throat. Megaman had figured out one was a feeding tube, while the other was for breathing. 3 day ago, they decided to take him off of both, as he was starting to breath on his own, and they switched him over to an IV for nourishment.

Megaman could only be thankful that Lan was able to breath on his own now. It would have made him sob uncontrollably to see Lan still on a machine that would breath for him, not to mention for 5 days straight. Even though Megaman knew that Lan was breathing on his own, the hospital still had him on oxygen. That way, he would remain in stable condition.

The Navi let out a sigh, as he let go of Lan's hand and got out of the chair he was sitting in. He still didn't want to leave the room. Megaman knew that Lan wouldn't leave his side if he was in such a position. However, he was sitting for a long time, and needed to move his legs.

As he rounded the bed, Megaman looked at Lan once more. 'I wonder if he is thinking about anything...' Megaman wasn't even sure if Lan had any thoughts going on in his head. He didn't know enough about this type of injury to determine whether or not Lan could have thoughts when in a semi-coma. All he could do was wonder what Lan could and couldn't do inside his head in his current condition.

Megaman passed Lan's bed, deciding to examine some of the equipment that was in the room. Since this was an extended-recovery room, a lot of equipment was kept inside, in case something happened with the patient and a specific machine or device was needed.

'Hmmm...' Megaman looked at one of the pieces of equipment, which was mounted in a case against the wall next to the bed. It has several knobs and buttons on it, as well as 2 cords that were attached to 2 paddles. From what Megaman saw, it appeared to be a defibrillator, used on a patient who's heart has stopped beating. He knew from researching on the Net that it's electrical pulses, which are emitted from the paddles, shock the heart so that it will start beating again. Megaman hoped that it would never have to be used while Lan was in this room.

He let out a silent sigh as he turned to examine another piece of equipment. This one had several small wires that came out of the machine and went to Lan's chest. It had a screen which showed Lan's heartbeat, monitoring it to make sure he doesn't code. That was the last thing that Lan needed; his heart to stop beating, thereby cutting off the supply of blood to his already injured head.

The Navi looked at the screen on the machine. He noted that Lan's heartbeat was low compared to the normal, which would be about 70 beats a minute. It was currently at about 58 beats a minute. However, given Lan's current condition, he figured that 58 beats a minute was to be expected.

Megaman took a look at a small panel above the head of the bed Lan was in. It had several buttons on it, each one color-coded for a different purpose. They also had writing on them, informing the patient or visitors to each button's function. Megaman looked at the one on top; yellow, with the writing "call" on it. There was another one below that one; orange, with the writing "nurse" on it. Yet another button was below that one; red, with the writing "emergency" on it. One last button was all that remained; a blue button with the writing "code" on it.

Trying to take his mind off of everything that had happened, Megaman decided to go back to his seat next to Lan's bed. He walked a little past the foot of the bed as he, once again, turned to face Lan. The expression on the boy's face was very indifferent, a look that Megaman solemnly ever saw. Normally, Lan would always be smiling. Every now and then, he would have some kind of serious look on his face, and rarely, one of anger. But, even rarer than his angry face would his look of indifference, a look that showed true for the past several days.

Bending his knees, Megaman sat down in the chair once more. It was the most uncomfortable thing in the world to sit in. There was little to no cushioning on either the seat or back parts of the chair. One would even look at it and believe that it would cause some kind of pain after sitting in it for an extended period of time, like Megaman had been doing the past 5 days. However, after such a long time, and with what Megaman thought Lan had to go through, he shrugged off the pain, knowing that it was nothing compared to what he has faced before, or what Lan is even facing right now.

"I've heard..." Megaman was struggling to get the words out of his mouth. "I've heard...that people in comas can still hear what is going on around them." True, Megaman had found a study while browsing the Information Exchange in NetCity that, even though people were in comas, some of their senses would still be active, specifically their sense of hearing.

Megaman continued. "If you can even hear me, Lan. I just...I just wanted to tell you about the time I finally realized how I really felt about you." He had planned on telling Lan this story once they had gotten some time after visiting Miyu the day of Cannonman's second attack.

"Well, I told you that it was after the Pharaohman battle. Actually, it was right after..."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

_'Finally. We defeated him.'_

_Megaman was glad that Pharaohman was finally out of the equation. After almost an entire day of being in control of the entire Cyberworld, Pharaohman was finally beaten by Protoman and him, thanks to some well-placed teamwork and a perfectly executed double Life Sword Program Advance._

"_Megaman!" The Navi turned his head up, with a smile on his face. He didn't remember what happened after the first appearance of Pharaohman, the appearance that deleted him. However, the one thing he remembered before that fateful moment was Lan's voice. It was the voice of his NetOp that he remembered the most. It was the one thing that was so vivid in his mind that he never let go of it._

"_Lan!"  
_"_You did it! Welcome back."  
_"_I'm glad to be back. Listen, Lan. You're not gonna believe who saved me just as I was about fall into the lava."_

_Megaman turned his body around so that just a little bit of the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of Protoman. Being the polite NetNavi that he was, Megaman had to give credit where credit was due. "It was Protoman." The red-armor clad Navi simply looked down at the ground, or, at least, that is what Megaman thought. He couldn't see what Protoman was looking at because the black of his visor was so dark that his eyes couldn't be seen._

_Megaman turned his body all the way, as Protoman turned away. "Thanks a lot. I own you one." Protoman didn't even move a muscle. Perhaps he wasn't the type to accept any type of thank yous from people. "You don't owe me anything, kid. I was only doing what I was told to do."_

_Even though he was still looking at Protoman, Megaman couldn't help but think about Lan. Something inside him was telling him something, but he couldn't put his finger on it. It was almost like there was a feeling inside him...a feeling that was telling him that Lan wasn't just his best friend. It was almost like it was telling Megaman that Lan could be...should be...would be...something more._

_'What's this feeling? What...am I feeling?' Megaman's thoughts couldn't sort out this feeling, either. All that was running through his head was Lan's voice, which only seemed to have made the mysterious feeling stronger and stronger the more Megaman thought about Lan's voice. 'Could it be...nah. It can't be...can it?'_

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Right after the final battle in World Three's cyberspace, I realized what that feeling was. Strange...a fight brought out how I really felt about you, Lan."

Megaman let out a heavy sigh, as he sat back in his chair. He closed his eyes, wanting to imagine what his life would have been like after that moment if he had told Lan how he really felt. 'Would he have accepted it? Would have have thought it was weird, not to mention something he may have never wanted? Would he have shot me down, saying that friendship was as far as we could go?'

His thoughts trailed off as he felt like he was falling asleep in the chair. He didn't want to, but, aside from what little sleep he got the past 5 days, his body just decided that it was time to get a little bit of sleep before he became an insomniac.

Unfortunately, sleep wasn't going to come that easily for Megaman today. As he finally felt like his body was going into a hibernation state, he heard the door to the room open and close. The Navi figured that either Mrs. or Dr. Hikari had come to check up on their son. Or, perhaps, one of Lan's friends, probably Maylu or Yai, decided to stop and visit Lan while they were in the neighborhood. Hell, he even thought that Dex might have gotten off of work at #1 Curry so he can visit Lan at the hospital.

With great reluctance, as he wanted to finally get some sleep, Megaman opened his eyes to see a woman in light blue clothing. She had a clipboard in hand and was looking at the various equipment that was around Lan's bed. All the while, she was writing stuff down on the piece of paper that was on the clipboard. He didn't quite process who she was for a few moments. However, he pulled his mind together and came to the conclusion that she was one of the nurses that worked in this area of the hospital, which explained the light blue clothing she was wearing, as they were her scrubs. Megaman figured that whatever she was writing down on her clipboard was probably Lan's vitals, IV fluid levels, and a general description of his current condition.

Megaman fully opened his eyes, deciding that he should ask the question he had been asking for the past several days. "How is he doing, nurse?"

"Well, I can't say he is doing good. But, I can't say he is doing bad."  
"What do you mean by that?"  
"His vitals are still below what we want them to be at, but he is in no immediate danger of lapsing into a permanent coma, or even dying, which is what we want to avoid."  
"Is there anything that we can do?"  
"All we can do is keep up with his current treatment and make changes according to the Doctor's orders."  
"I guess that's good. But, it does mean that nothing has changed. Thanks for the update."  
"You're welcome. You look tired. You should probably go home and get some sleep."

The nurse finished up her work and walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind her. Megaman was thankful that the nurse was able to give an update on the situation, even though the update only proved that Lan's condition had not changed since the last time a nurse came in to check on him.

Megaman put his head against the wall behind the chair, trying to get comfortable. He could have gone back home...well...one of his two homes...to get some sleep. However, he wanted to say by Lan more than anything. He could have gone back into his PET and went into sleep-mode, but it just wouldn't be the same as it was now. Inside his PET, Megaman would be right next to Lan, in a sense, but it just wouldn't feel the same as being in the same physical world as Lan. To Megaman, it was more important to be in the human world with Lan than to be in his PET right next to Lan.

With heavy movements in his eyelids, Megaman finally closed his eyes, trying to get what sleep he could. In his mind, he imagined Lan finally waking up from his semi-coma, with a warm smile on his face, the same smile that he had come to grow fond off over the 2 years he had known Lan. The visualizations grew more and more vivid, as Lan wrapping his arms around the Navi in a loving manner, a manner that he hadn't felt in days. The last time Megaman had felt this way, the feeling that wanted him to at least feel a touch from Lan...was almost 2 years ago, right after Lan left for Jawaii Island on his around-the-world trip.

'Yeah. After the N1...'

~~!~~  
~~!~~

_The airplane was already high in the air, probably 30,000 feet, like most airliners. It was carrying close to 200 passengers, all heading to the same vacation spot in the south sea: Jawaii Island. Jawaii Island was one of the hottest vacation spots around the world, totally over 2 million tourists over the course of a year. Now, after the N1 Grand Prix, Lan finally got the chance to see the island paradise for himself, being the first spot in his around-the-world trip, the prize for taking second place at the competition._

_A dinging sound was heard throughout the coach and first-class cabins. The overhead lights signaled that PET use, as well as movement around the cabins, was now permitted. Lan looked up at the lights and smiled, knowing that he could now talk to his newly restored NetNavi._

_Lan lifted the device from it's holster, which was strapped to his waist, to about the same level as his chest. Wasting no time, he pushed the B button on the PET. It came out of Stand-by mode, displaying the standard operating system desktop. Only a second later, hundreds of pixilated boxes appeared, converging on a central point in the bottom center of the screen. The boxes took form, showing an image of Megaman, a look of joy and bliss on his face._

"_Lan."  
_"_Megaman."_

_A flash of light from Lan's window caught his attention. He turned his head and the PET camera to look out the window. 30,000 feet in the air, a height Lan had never been to. The sun rising from a horizon made of clouds made for a remarkable sight, both for Lan and Megaman. It was an absolutely stunning sight for the both of them._

"_A lot has happened, eh, Lan?"  
_"_You could say that. Really, a lot."  
_"_Lan."_

_Megaman look straight into Lan's eyes, while lifting his right hand up to the PET screen. For the Navi and NetOp, it was a sign of friendship, a sign of their victory over the nearly devastating opposition which had only occurred days before. It was a moment that Megaman wanted to remember for all time. He hoped that Lan wanted the same thing._

"_Megaman." Lan put as much of his fingers onto the screen of the PET, trying to match that of Megaman's hand. Neither of the two moved. They didn't want anything to disturb the moment they were sharing, a moment of friendship. At least, that is what was for Lan. Megaman wanted more, though. Lan moving his fingers to match his glove...he wanted to actually feel the boy's hand. He wanted to give Lan a handshake, a hug...a kiss._

"_Welcome back, Megaman!"  
_"_I'm home, Lan!"  
_"_We'll be together from now on, Megaman."_

_Without hesitation, Megaman gave the only response that came to his mind. "Yeah."_

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Megaman opened his eyes, knowing exactly what he had just dreamed about. The feeling, the want, the need, to have physical contact with Lan, be it through a handshake or kiss, resurfaced somewhere inside the Navi. Lifting his head up from the wall behind his chair, Megaman leaned forward and took a hold of Lan's left hand again. He look at the boy in front of him and, for the first time in 5 days, he smiled.

Even to that moment, it amazed Megaman that he was still able to hold Lan's hand. He had a feeling that lasted, even till now, that it was all some dream, and he would eventually wake up from it. However, given the current situation, one might believe that the "dream" turned into a nightmare. In truth, Megaman was starting to want everything to be a dream. It hurt him a lot to see Lan the way he was. He knew that if it all was a dream, things would return to normal, meaning that Lan would not be in the hospital.

Even if it meant that he could never touch Lan again, Megaman, somewhere in the back of his mind, wanted this all to be a dream, and was ready to sacrifice that one thing he now cherish, just so that Lan's pain would end.

The latch on the door could be heard as it was lifted up on the other side. Megaman turned his head towards the door, instinctively let go to Lan's hand, and sat against the backrest of the chair once again. He watched the door open completely, revealing 5 figures standing behind it. Even though it was still dimly lit inside the room, Megaman was still able to make out who it was standing behind the door. In walked Ms. Mari, Dex, Maylu, Yai, and Tory.

Ms. Mari was the first of the group to make any kind of statement. "Megaman. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Oh, hi Ms. Mari."  
"You look tired, Megaman. Have you gotten any sleep?"  
"Not really. Maybe about 10 hours total over the past 5 days."  
"Oh, my! You really should get home and sleep, Megaman. You don't want to become sleep deprived."  
"I'll be fine, Ms. Mari. Don't worry about me."

That was just like Megaman. Him and Lan were so much alike. They both cared for everyone else in their lives, but never cared much for themselves. They were both in the mindset that everyone else's lives were much more important than their own, which is probably the baseline for their sometimes...irrational behavior, which would be running into battles with no plan, testing experiments that are dangerous, and putting themselves in harms way, just to name a few.

"How is Lan doing, Megaman?" Maylu couldn't help but let a tone of worry slip into her voice when she spoke.  
"Yeah. Will he be ok?" Dex had a similar tone of worry.  
"Is there anything we can do?" Tory was also no exception.  
"Do the doctors think Lan will ever recover?" Of all the visitors, Yai sounded the most worried.

Megaman was taken aback slightly by the bombardment of questions that came his way. They all knew that Megaman hadn't left Lan's hospital room in the 5 days Lan had been there. They were all hoping that Megaman knew something that they did not, which made them want to know even more. They were all worried for Lan. He had gotten himself hurt in the past, but all of those injuries turned out to be minor. Lan was never injured this badly before.

The Navi looked around at the group of children and adult chaperon, trying to find the words to explain Lan's current condition. He wasn't one for speaking in medical terminology, so he knew that he was going to avoid using such words. Instead, he decided that he would try his best to use simpler words that everyone would understand.

"Well, Chaud and I brought Lan in 5 days ago. They did some surgery on his head wound to stitch it up and fix a possible fracture in his skull." Megaman felt like he was beginning a long speech, like what Dr. Hikari would give to Lan and him about their conduct or otherwise. Such speeches were given to the duo more than both of them wanted. However, Dr. Hikari felt it necessary to give such lectures when he felt they were needed.

Nonetheless, Megaman continued. "For the rest of that day and the day after, Lan was on feeding and breathing tubes, since he was already in his semi-coma and couldn't breath or eat on his own. Then, three days ago, they took the tubes out, because they discovered he was starting to breath on his own, which was a good sign, and switched him to some liquid IV for nourishment."

Megaman's explanation was interrupted by several sighs of relief which came from the children, as well as Ms. Mari. He could see it in their eyes and even on their faces. They had had extremely worried expressions on all of their faces. Hearing what Megaman had to tell them helped to put their worries to rest, for the most part. They all noticed that Lan still had yet to wake up from his semi-coma.

The Navi continued. "Lan's been like this for 3 days now. He hasn't moved an inch, as well as his vitals being a little below what the doctors want. At least, that is what the nurse who was in here earlier said. But, she did say that he wasn't in any danger of going into a deeper coma or even dying."

Everyone's attention was turned to Lan, still lying motionless in the hospital bed. Even if they were no longer worried, they still didn't like seeing Lan the way he was. It simply broke their hearts seeing Lan like that. He was never one to let physical injuries get in the way of him doing what he wanted or needed to do. However, this time was different. He didn't have a choice in the matter.

An awkward silence fell upon everyone in the room. Megaman had effectively finished his explanation and update of Lan's condition, but something still didn't feel right to him. One by one, the children and Ms. Mari shifted their attention from Lan to him. Megaman couldn't shake the feeling that they didn't just come to see Lan today. Something inside him was telling him that he was also going to be a person of interest in the children and Ms. Mari's visit.

His feeling proved to be true, as Tory broke the silence which still had a grip on the room.

"It's good that Lan isn't doing the worst that he could be. However, we also didn't come here to see just Lan. We're concerned about you as well, Megaman."  
"Me? Why me?"  
"Well, since the incident 5 days ago, we all know that you haven't left the hospital, let alone this room."  
"You don't have to worry about me. Lan is the one that you should worry about."

"But, it isn't exactly normal for someone to not leave a hospital room for 5 days, Megaman. That is what concerns us." Ms. Mari had added her comment into the fray. All the other children simply nodded their heads in agreement with their teacher. Even though he was not in a position to admit it, Megaman did find it a little strange for a person to stay with someone for such an extended period of time in the hospital. A day or two would have been considered "normal." However, 5 days straight just seemed very...excessive.

However, Megaman stood his ground. "I know that it is strange, but...I have to be here with Lan. I just...feel like I am suppose to be here, if that makes any sense."

Everyone just stared at Megaman. Unfortunately for him, his statement didn't make much sense to them. He still couldn't tell them the real reason he was there. That information shouldn't need to be known to them at the time, not with Lan the way he was, anyway. They continued to give the Navi blank stares, which made him feel uncomfortable. He decided that he had to say something that would make sense so that more questions were not asked.

"If something like this had happened to me, I know that Lan would be doing the same thing I am. That's why I have to be there all the time. He would do the same for me."

Ms. Mari, being the teacher she was, decided to play psychiatrist, hoping to get the root of Megaman's thinking.

"Is it because he is your friend that you feel obligated to be here all the time?"  
"I guess so...but it still feels like something more...something else."  
"You don't know what that feeling is?"  
"Well...I feels like...it's my responsibility."

"Responsibility?" Dex, Maylu, Yai, and Tory all said the same thing in unison, while also interrupting Ms. Mari's attempts to find out why Megaman had not left the room. The four children were all confused as to how Megaman believed that it was his responsibility to stay with Lan while he was recovering...or as close to recovering as he could get at the moment.

"What do you mean by that, Megaman?" Maylu's curiosity was sparked.  
"Yeah. It's not like you are his babysitter or something." Dex tried to lighten the mood, but to no avail.  
"Even if he is like this, you can't stay here forever." Tory's power of observation was uncanny.  
"You can't be his crutch forever. He has to recover on his own." Yai's logic was flawless, as usual.

Megaman looked around the room, taking note of each of the comments that were directed at him. They made him think hard about what he was doing. Did Lan really want him to spend all his time by the boy's bedside, without even so much as leaving the room? Would Lan really do the same if he was in the same position? The statements and observations of the other children in the room were starting to make Megaman question his own motives.

But, he had to keep is ground. He wasn't going to leave Lan alone, not in the condition he was in. "Listen, guys. Ms. Mari. I really do appreciate your concern for me. But, I know I am fine."

They all simply stared at Megaman, apparently not buying into his explanation. They all knew that he wasn't acting like himself. If anything, Megaman had never acted the way he is now at any point in the past. He was always optimistic, even though he would look at a situation from all angles. But, that never put him down, as he always hoped for the best and worked towards that goal.

This was his only chance. He had to plead his case one more time.

"It's just that...I have to be here out of responsibility because I'm the cause of all this." He tried his best to hold in any emotions that threatened to surface at that moment. It seemed to work, as his expression was a little bit indifferent, but still had a sense of worry. The other people in the room were now perplexed by his statement. It didn't take long, but Maylu decided to ask the question that was on everyone else's mind.

"What do you mean by that, Megaman? How is this all your fault?"  
"If...if I hadn't been the NetNavi that stopped World Three, Grave, Nebula, and all those other crime organizations, then they wouldn't have targeted Lan. He wouldn't be in this situation. It's all because of me."

"You are so selfish, Megaman!" Everyone's attention turned to the source of the rather rude comment. They all recognized the voice. It came from the girl with the pink dress and yellow braids in the back of her head. That's right. They all turned their attention to Yai Ayano. Needless to say, everyone in the room was shocked at what just came out of Yai's mouth. She was never the really rude type, but she had been known to be overzealous on occasion.

"Yai! How can you say such a thing?" Ms. Mari was obviously upset.  
"Come on, Yai. It isn't that bad." Maylu wasn't angry, but more or less shocked.  
"Cut him some slack, Yai." Dex was a little more on the stern side.  
"That wasn't a respectful thing to say, Yai." Tory concluded with everyone else.

Yai, being the stubborn girl that she was, stood by her comment. "Just because Lan was attacked by someone, doesn't mean it is your fault, Megaman."

"But, that is why it is my fault!" Megaman was about to begin shouting at this point. Aside from his battles with hostile NetNavis, he had never felt so insulted, and from one of his friends, nonetheless. "I was the one who beat all of those criminals. Because of that, they targeted Lan. And now, look what happened to him. It's my fault!"

"And, that is where you are wrong." Yai was also ready to start shouting, not so much out of anger, but more or less to get the point across to Megaman. "You did what you did because that is what you do. You and Lan do the right thing in the world. You fight so that people like World Three, Grave, and Nebula don't control our world. They were evil by nature. If anything, it is your fault that we live in the peaceful world we do. It is your fault that we can go about our daily lives without fear. It's your fault that...that..."

Yai wasn't able to continue. Her eyes were starting to swell up with tears, and her voice was starting to get muffled. She quickly wiped the tears away with her wrist, attempting to regain her composer so that she could finish what she started.

"It's your fault that our NetNavis are even here. You have saved them countless times. What happened to Lan happened because the UnderNet Mafia wanted it to. It had nothing to do with you stopping other organizations in the past. It was their doing and nothing more."

Everyone was at a lose for words. They had never seen Yai so upset when talking to one of her friends. In fact, this was probably the first time that she had really "blown up" at someone and let them know what she was thinking, without holding back, to say the least. But, out of them all, Megaman was probably the most stunned of them all. Not even Lan had been this rough on him if he was ever feeling down or depressed.

"Yai...I just... I just..."  
"Don't say anything, Megaman. Just know that it's not your fault."  
"I just...I just want to be here. I just want to be with Lan."

"I guess we can't change your mind, Megaman. But, please. Make sure you take care of yourself. Your own well-being shouldn't be overlooked on account of what happened to Lan." Ms. Mari seemed to be conceding her argument, but still trying her best to make sure that the Navi got the message that were still worried about him. This was enforced by the shear amount of worry that was coming from her eyes as Megaman looked at the older woman.

No matter how much he didn't want to acknowledge it, Megaman knew, somewhere inside him, that he really wasn't taking care of himself during his 5 day isolation. As that is exactly what it was: isolation. He didn't leave the room. He didn't see anyone besides Lan, who probably didn't even know he was there. He didn't talk all that much. He just completely shut himself in and tuned the rest of the world out.

"I will. And, thanks for coming. I'm sure that Lan..." Megaman paused in the middle of his sentence. Just the mere mention of Lan made Megaman uneasy, as well as depressed, since he knew the boy was laying right in the same room as him, completely motionless and most likely completely unaware of his surroundings. But, he finished his statement. "Lan would be thankful, as well."

All the visitors could do was nod their heads in agreement with the Navi. Lan was the thankful type, when it came to big things, or rather, things that he took notice of. Most often, people would do stuff for him and he wouldn't even notice, unless they made a mention of it. Lan could be very oblivious at times, which would normally drive his family and friends crazy. Because he didn't pay a lot of attention to his surroundings, he would act on impulse, thereby making things worse than better.

"Children, we should probably get going. You do have an assignment, after all." Ms. Mari heard a few moans from the children, as they knew that the assignment wasn't an easy task. However, they did feel like it was time to go, and allowed Ms. Mari to usher them out of the room. Megaman looked on as the visitors slowly went into the hallway. However, he took note that Maylu was still left in the room.

"Maylu, are you coming with us?"  
"Oh, no Ms. Mari. I'm going to stay a little bit longer."  
"Well, don't stay too long. It will be dark outside soon."  
"I won't. Goodbye, Mr. Mari."

Ms. Mari gave a smiling nod as he walked out of the room and quietly closed the door behind her. Maylu took up another chair and sat on the opposite side of the bed Lan was in, making sure that she was able to look at both Lan and Megaman during what little time she had while there.

Megaman simply looked in Maylu's direction, then refocused his sight on Lan, still completely motionless in the bed in front of him. The Navi hoped that after everyone left, he would be able to hold Lan's hand again, wanting to feel the warmth that would still emanate from the hand. However, he couldn't very well do that now with Maylu still in the room. It would completely blow their cover which had worked hard to keep a secret, coming very close to being exposed a few times already.

A silence befell the room. Both Maylu and Megaman just sat in their chairs, staring at Lan, hoping that the boy would soon wake up from his unconscious state. The silence was killing Megaman on the inside. He wanted to keep talking to Lan in only a way that both of them should hear. He didn't want anyone else to hear what he wanted to tell Lan.

"Hey, Megaman?"  
"Hmm? Yeah, Maylu?"  
"Can I ask you a question?"  
"Oh, sure. What's on your mind?"

Maylu finally looked up from the bed and looked over at the Navi, sitting directly across from her. He was still facing down, looking at Lan. He wasn't exactly sure what Maylu wanted to ask him. However, he figured that it was the reason that she stayed behind. Why else would she have remained if not to ask the question that she was about to ask?

"You...you love Lan, don't you?"

Megaman immediately moved his attention from Lan to Maylu. 'How could...how did she...' The Navi's mind started racing with so many thoughts at that moment. How did she know? Did she find out on her own? Were him and Lan not careful enough? What does she think about Megaman now? Is she completely freaked out by it?

Megaman couldn't piece together anything to say at that moment. His mind would not allow him to even speak, let alone think about what he was going to say. Needless to say, Megaman was completely taken by surprise thanks to Maylu's remark. Not only that, but he was also put into a state of shock, He thought for sure that him and Lan had kept their relationship under wraps rather effectively. He thought there was no way that anyone would have been able to find out about it.

"Well...I..." The shock from the initial question made it too hard for Megaman to form a coherent sentence, let alone lie about it, or even tell the truth. He didn't know what he was going to tell Maylu. She was a smart girl. She would be able to figure out of Megaman was lying or not. Hell, at this point, even Dex would be able to figure out if Megaman was lying or not. The shear amount of worry and shock in what little voice he gave off was enough to make even the most oblivious person aware of the real answer.

Megaman sighed, which was all the answer that Maylu needed. "Megaman...does...he love you back?" More good news for the Navi. Yet another question from the girl brought up even more shock and worry. He thought that he had to say something. The shock and worry of what she would assume, as well as think, about his and Lan's relationship was just becoming too much for him to keep hidden. He couldn't hold it in anymore. He wanted to know what she thought of him.

"...Yeah. He does. And...I love him, too." It finally came out.

Maylu simply got up from her chair and started to make her way towards the door. Megaman slowly followed her with his eyes. He was so sure that she thought so much less of both of them now. Megaman's heart became heavy, as he felt like he had betrayed Lan by telling someone about their love for each other. It was something that he knew he would have to tell Lan when he finally woke up.

"Hey, Megaman." Maylu slowly turned to face the Navi.  
"Yeah, Maylu?" Megaman was prepared for the worst.  
"I'm...happy that you can Lan feel the same way about each other."

He suddenly felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of him. He feared so much that Maylu wouldn't think of him and Lan the same anymore, that he nearly broke into tears. However, the reassurance of Maylu's comment helped to ease his fears. "I guess...I should say thanks."

Maylu simply giggle to herself in a silent manner, but just enough so that Megaman could hear her. "You know...you and Lan are the first two boys I know who love each other. That's kinda cool." She gave Megaman a smile, letting him know that his and Lan's relationship didn't change the way she looked at them.

As Maylu opened the door to the hallway, Megaman quickly said one last thing. "Maylu, wait!" The girl turned around to see that Megaman had gotten out of his chair and was standing at the foot of Lan's hospital bed, a look of slight concern in his eyes. "Can you...not tell anyone about Lan and me?"

The girl gave a puzzled look at the Navi.

"Why is that, Megaman? Don't you want all our friends to know?"  
"That's actually the reason we _**don't**_ want them to know."  
"You mean you want to keep this a secret?"  
"Yeah, we do. Lan and I talked about it before this happened. We want to wait until we think the time is right."  
"Oh, I see."

Maylu gave Megaman another smile, seemingly showing the Navi a sign of reassurance. Like Maylu had intended, the look on her face made Megaman feel at ease. It showed the Navi that Maylu's friendship with him and Lan wasn't something that could be changed by something as simple as his and Lan's relationship. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks, Maylu."

The short-skirted girl gave Megaman one last smile before leaving the room, closing the door behind her as she finally left. The Navi sat back down in his chair, and, once again, stared that the boy laying in the bed in front of him. He didn't like this. He didn't like the fact that he could still do nothing more but watch Lan. He was always there for the boy, always protecting, always caring, always looking out for him. Now, he couldn't even do any of that. He couldn't do any of that the day of Cannonman's second attack.

He sighed, and, once again, put his head back against the wall behind his chair. He tried to get some sleep not too long ago, but Lan's friends and Ms. Mari visiting interrupted him. Now that all of the visitors were gone, Megaman figured that now would probably be the only time that he would get to catch some sleep before yet another visitor came through the hospital room door.

And, his body agreed with his mind. His eyelids still felt heavy, actually, much heavier than they were the first time he tried to get some sleep that same day. Megaman began to wonder if he was starting to become sleep deprived, which wasn't something that he wanted to happen to himself right now.

So, deciding that now was a better time than any over the past 5 days, Megaman completely closed his eyes, hoping that he would be able to sleep.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"_We have an emergency!"_

_Chaud yelled as loud as he could when he and Megaman entered through the Emergency entrance at DenTech Hospital. The white and black haired boy was carrying Lan in his arms. Megaman would have done that himself, but he was still feeling too weak. That last episode of paralysis took a lot of his strength out of him. He could only be thankful that Chaud was stronger than he let on._

_One of the hospital staff members, who also happened to be a registered nurse, was standing behind the counter when he heard Chaud call out. He came out from behind the counter, only to be greeted by the sight of Lan in Chaud's arms, his head still dripping with blood, and his wound still bleeding. Much of the thick red substance had made it's way to Chaud's vest and shirt, staining the clothing in the process._

"_What happened to him?"_

_Chaud tried to be as calm and quiet as he could. "We need to make this quick. Him and I are both NetSavers. We were attacked and he was badly wounded. His name is Lan Hikari. Mine is Chaud Blaze." Chaud managed to pull his PET out of it's holder and flashed the NetSaver ID hologram at the nurse. Without another word, Chaud and the nurse rushed Lan's limp, but still living, body to the double doors leading to the Trauma Ward._

"_Who is he? Family? Friend? Another NetSaver?" The nurse was looking at Megaman, who was still following Chaud at the time. Chaud looked at the Navi, not sure how to tell the nurse who the boy standing in front of him really was. However, the black and white haired NetSaver was in a position of authority over the nurse, and he might be able to use that position to Megaman's advantage._

"_He is someone of importance. He can follow us."  
_"_Are you sure about that?"  
_"_Listen, we don't have time for that! Lan has already lost a lot of blood and suffered a severe concussion!"_

_Conceding his argument, the nurse opened the double doors, quickly moving through them. Chaud, with Lan in arms, and Megaman, both followed closely behind. Megaman wasn't sure why Chaud didn't just tell the nurse who he really was. But, given the circumstances, the Navi wasn't really able to think properly at the moment._

_They finally reached their destination. The sign outside the room read "Trauma Room 2." The nurse opened the doors and instructed Chaud to place Lan on the table. He then went over to the phone and paged several of the ER doctors who were just wrapping up another case in Trauma Room 6. Wasting no more time, Chaud and the nurse worked on Lan, trying to clean and sanitize his head wound. The last thing they needed was for the boy's wound to get infected before it was stitched up._

_The doors opened once again. 2 men and 2 women dressed in teal scrubs and white coats walked in, along with several people dressed in maroon-color scrubs. Chaud figured the first four were the doctors while the rest were the nursing staff for the ER. Megaman was still in too much shock for his mind to process anything at the moment. All he could do was look on as the doctors and nurses started to work on his NetOp._

_Chaud had backed away from the table, letting the medical team do their work. He took a stance beside Megaman. "Don't worry. DenTech has some of the best physicians in Japan." Chaud saw the look on Megaman's face. He knew the Navi was worried beyond anything he had ever seen. Even though he tried his best to ease those worries, Megaman just couldn't put his fears and worries on a back-burner, not when his NetOp, his best friend...his love...was right there in front of him, suffering from who knows how much pain and agony._

"_Doctor. I have the medical file for Lan Hikari. His blood type is O-."  
_"_Alright. Make a call to blood storage. Tell them we need several pints up here."  
_"_Doctor! His wound is still bleeding."  
_"_Begin suction. Make sure he doesn't loose anymore blood."  
_"_His breathing is slowing down."  
_"_Bag him."  
_"_Start an IV."  
_"_BP is dropping. His heart is slowing down."  
_"_If we can't stabilize him, he'll go into Cardiac Arrest!"  
_"_He's crashing!"_

_The two boys just stood by the door, listening to the talking and yelling of the physicians. Chaud knew what was going on, as did Megaman. The amount of blood lost was causing Lan's heart to slow down, as there was not enough oxidized blood being send to his brain to help operate the rest of his body. Not only was Lan at risk for dying due to blood loss, but now if he was kept alive, he might be at risk for brain damage. _

_Luckily, Chaud knew more about medicine than Megaman. However, this wasn't the time to tell Megaman just what could happen if things didn't turn out the way they wanted to. He didn't feel that the Navi should be burdened with such information. Besides, Megaman looked like he was already an emotional wreck. Lan's possible death wasn't something that Chaud should add to the mix._

"_BP is rising."  
_"_The blood from storage is here, doctor."  
_"_Hook it up and start an IV. Make sure that head wound is clean."  
_"_It has stopped bleeding for the moment."  
_"_Get me an X-Ray machine up here. I want some pictures of his skull."  
_"_Yes, doctor."_

_One of the nurses spotted Megaman and Chaud still by the doors. "You two should follow me." She motioned to the door, opened it, and ushered the two boys into the lobby. Nothing was said during the walk to the waiting area._

"_Nurse. How is he doing?"  
_"_Lan was being stabilized when we walked out of the trauma room. They should have him in stable condition soon."  
_"_That's good to hear. What about his head wound?"  
_"_From how much the IV was putting into him, he lost a lot of blood. Once his wound is fully clean and sanitized, they should be stitching it up."_

_Feeling that her answer was good enough for Chaud, the nurse left him and Megaman in the lobby, going back through the doors to work on Lan along with the other nurses and the doctors. Knowing that he wasn't going to get anymore answers from the staff, Chaud sat down in one of the chairs. Megaman finally pulled his mind together and realized what happened, sitting down a few chairs from Chaud. Both of them did not say a word to the other._

_The lobby was large, filled with row upon row upon row of chairs for those who were waiting to receive treatment. Within the rows of chairs were small tables for those who had a beverage or piece of food, as well as for keeping magazines on them. Megaman looked over at one of the tables and saw a wide variety of reading material. He recognized a few of the titles, such as "NetBattles Weekly," "PET World," and the most popular magazine in DenTech, "DenTech News Network Daily." Even though the newsmagazine was rather new, only ten months old, it grew rapidly in popularity thanks to Ribitta's contributions to the periodical._

_Chaud just sat in his chair, staring at the double doors that Lan was now behind. He was worried for the other NetSaver. Lan has been a good friend to him, even when they were rivals at the N1 Grand Prix. He was even told that Lan was rather nice to the former members of World Three while they were running the curry shop in DenTech, even after they tried so many times to delete Megaman._

_For someone to be so caring for others, even those who could, and often, would turn into his enemies, Chaud wasn't sure if Lan was too caring, completely foolhardy, or a tactical genius. But, Chaud did crack a small smile at the thought. 'No way Lan is a tactical genius. He's too scattered brained for that.'_

_More and more people started to enter and leave the Emergency Room lobby. Unfortunately, it seemed to be a busy day in the ER, a day that no one really wanted to see. However, it was a necessary evil, as the people that worked there needed to help people in order to get paid for their work. Even though they don't want a lot of people to come to the Emergency Room for treatment, somewhere in the back of their minds, whether they know it or not, they want people to come and receive treatment. People receiving treatment meant a paycheck to bring home._

_One of the nurses working on Lan finally emerged from the Trauma Ward. He was greeted with Chaud standing up quickly, while Megaman stood up rather slowing, considering Lan was his best friend and NetOp._

"_There you two are. I'm here to give you an update."_

_Chaud was still the only one between the two visitors to be talk. "How is he? Will he recover completely?" Though he normally tried to keep an indifferent tone of voice when it came to serious topics, Chaud couldn't help himself. There was a noticeable amount of worry in his voice as he spoke to the nurse._

"_Actually...I am going to be honest with you. It isn't looking good."  
_"_What do you by that?"  
_"_The thing is...Lan has lost a lot of blood. As such, there wasn't enough oxidized blood going to his brain, thereby making it oxygen deprived."  
_"_Are you saying that he could be brain dead?"  
_"_Not at this point. You got him here just in time to avoid that. However, with the amount of blood lost, along with whatever caused the wound on his head, Lan has gone into a sort of 'semi-coma.' I wish I had a better explanation for you."  
_"_...semi-coma?"  
_"_Basically, his brain is functioning, but the rest of his body isn't responding the way we want it. We have him on a breathing tube, because his lungs are not breathing for him. We also had to put him on an external pacemaker to keep his heart from stopping."_

_Chaud and the nurse continued their conversation. Megaman, however, remained silent, but still listening. He understood just about everything that Chaud and the nurse were talking about. He remembered reading about it in NetCity while Lan was sleeping in class several months ago. The odd thing was...even though Megaman heard and understood almost everything that was said during the conversation, he was not phased by it. It was most like due to the fact that he was still in shock over what happened earlier that same day._

"_There is another thing. Whatever caused the wound on his head also fractured a small piece of his skull."  
_"_What? Did it cause any damage to..."  
_"_No. His brain was not injured by it. However, it was jarred around a lot, which caused some bruising to occur. Thankfully, that will heal on it's own."  
_"_What are you going to do about the fracture?"  
_"_To make sure it doesn't shatter at some point later down the road, we will have to take Lan into surgery and fuse the fracture together. However, before we can do the surgery, we need consent from his parents or guardians."  
_"_His parents are not here. Do they have to be to sign papers for the surgery to go forward?"  
_"_Not necessarily. If you can get them on the phone, they can give verbal consent. That way, we can help Lan sooner, and they can sign the paperwork later."  
_"_Alright. I'll get his parents on the phone."_

_The nurse gave Chaud a nod and went back into the Trauma Ward. Megaman just stared at his lap. This was something that he and Lan have never faced before. Sure, they have gotten into tight spots when fighting other NetNavis and whatnot. But, a major surgical operation on his skull? This went beyond anything they have faced together. And, what made it worse, was that Megaman knew, somewhere in his mind, that Lan would have to face this alone. There wasn't anything he could do to help his NetOp._

_Chaud saw how distressed Megaman was over everything that had happened._

"_Something came up, and they need to take Lan into..."  
_"_I know...I heard everything."  
_"_You don't need to worry. Didn't I say DenTech has the best doctors in Japan?"  
_"_Yeah, but, I wish...I wish that could ease my worries. But...it doesn't"  
_"_I guess that is normal. He his your best friend and NetOp after all."  
_"_It's just that...we never faced anything like this before. And now...he has to do it alone."  
_"_He is never alone as long as you think about him."_

_The Navi didn't respond to the last comment. Instead, he simply continued to look down at his lap, mood unchanged by his conversation with the white-haired boy. Knowing that he wasn't going to be able to ease the Megaman's worries, Chaud finally did what he needed to do. "I need to call his parents. The sooner he is in surgery, the better."_

_With his statement, Chaud left the lobby area and went to a small section close to the Trauma Ward. It contained several phones, most likely put in place so that relatives of anyone receiving emergency care could be contacted._

_Megaman was left in the lobby. He was still in disbelief as to what has happened, and what will happen to Lan once Chaud gets off the phone with Lan's parents. A feeling inside him finally came out. That feeling made him fully realize the situation at hand, as well as everything that had happened earlier. That feeling made itself known to Megaman in a way that he had never felt before. That feeling made itself into a physical manifestation, the reality of the situation crashing down on the Navi._

_And Megaman cried harder than he had ever done in his entire life._

~~!~~  
~~!~~

A silent knock was heard in the room. Megaman opened his eyes, hearing the noise. He wasn't sure who could have been knocking on the door to Lan's room. However, his curiosity got the better of him. He slowly got up from his chair, quickly glancing at the clock that was mounted on the wall to the right of Lan's bed. 8:13pm. The Navi vaguely remembered falling asleep around 6:05pm. Still, he didn't remember the exact time.

Figuring that he was sleep for almost 2 hours, Megaman went over to the door and lifted the latch. It opened without a single sound, as the door appeared to have well-oiled hinges. Two figures were behind the door after Megaman opened it. It was the same two people that had come to visit Lan each day for the past 5 days. The two people were none other than Lan's parents, Dr. and Mrs. Hikari.

"Megaman...I didn't realize you were still here."  
"Dr. Hikari...yeah. I have been here a little bit."  
"Did you leave at all since yester..."

Dr. Hikari paused in the middle of his sentence. He already knew the answer to his question. He knew that Megaman had not left the room since yesterday. He could see it in the Navi's eyes...those emerald green eyes had a look of fatigue in them. Dr. Hikari saw that look, and knew that Megaman had not left the room since yesterday. And, the Navi shaking his head 'no' confirmed the older man's hypothesis.

"My, Megaman! You haven't left Lan's room in 5 days." Mrs. Hikari stated the obvious. Both Dr. Hikari and Megaman already knew that. However, Mrs. Hikari seemed to have stated it in the hopes that she would put an emphasis on the point, thinking that Megaman might finally leave the room, or even go back into his PET, thereby taking a break from the human world and getting back to his Navi friends.

Megaman simply stepped to the side and allowed Lan's parents to enter the room. They moved with very silent steps, almost as if thinking that if they made too much noise, Lan would wake up. Oddly enough, that is what they all wanted. The question of why they moved so silently crossed Megaman's mind. The events earlier that day had been rather noisy, especially when Yai made her opinion well-known to the rest of Lan's earlier visitors.

"Yeah...I've been here for 5 days. Maylu, Ms. Mari, and the others were here about 2 hours ago."  
"Really? Was it their first visit?"  
"It was. They actually didn't stay too long. Ms. Mari reminded them about an assignment. So, they left early."

The two parents took seats beside their son's bed. And, just like the last 4 times they had visited over the past 4 days, Lan had not moved an inch, save for when the tubes were removed from his mouth and throat. Megaman turned around and took his original seat, the same one he was in beforehand.

There wasn't much talking this time around. The past 4 days when Lan's parents visited, there was a lot of talking. Most of the talking was actually done by Megaman, as Dr. and Mrs. Hikari would be the ones asking questions about Lan's current state. While they did visit him when they could, they knew that since Megaman was basically there 24/7, he would be able to clue them in on what has been happening.

An uncomfortable silence befell the room as the Navi's eyes wandered. The machines were all making some kind of sound, be it a beep, a decompressing sound, or otherwise. Thankfully, in the 5 days that Megaman was in the room, none of the machines made any extremely noisy sounds, like if Lan was in need of more emergency care. Oddly enough, Megaman had been in the same room for so long, that the sounds were actually starting to not be heard by him. He had been hearing them so much, that his brain simply mixed the sounds with everything else, effectively making them inaudible.

"So, how is Lan doing?" Mrs. Hikari broke the awkward silence in the room.

"...There hasn't been any changes since yesterday."  
"So, you are saying that..."  
"Yeah. There's been no change in his condition."

Lan's parents both let out a sigh. Each day they came in, they were hoping that something had changed in Lan's condition. Each day they came in, they were hoping that Lan had, at the very least, moved a part of his body, even if it was just an inch. They needed a sign...a sign that told them that their son was going to be alright. However, with each day that had come in to visit, they did not receive the sign they were hoping for.

All eyes were now on the boy laying in the bed. In truth, even though Lan was breathing on his own, the doctors still were not sure why Lan wasn't waking up. Normally, when a patient is able to breath on their own, they would wake up from whatever coma they were in, seeing as their brain functions were starting to normalize. However, Lan's case was different. His brain was functioning, that was for sure. The issue was that, at the moment, he didn't have any consciousness.

Another length of silence befell the room. Everyone's gaze still on Lan, still laying motionless in the bed. His parents listened to the various sounds that were emitting from the different pieces of equipment and instruments around the room. The heart monitor, the occasional BP pack, and the sound of more oxygen being shot into Lan's nose, all swirled together. As they listened to the sounds, the older couple had another reason in mind as to why they came to visit Lan today. Unfortunately for Megaman, it was the same reason that Maylu, Ms. Mari, and the others came earlier that day.

"Megaman..." Dr. Hikari seemed to be the one who would reveal the other reason to the Navi. "What did Maylu and the others talk about with you when they were here?" Dr. Hikari was hoping that the first group of visitors would have brought up concerns about Megaman, as well, thereby making it easier to voice his and his wife's own concerns.

"They came in to see Lan. They basically did the same thing you guys do." Megaman knew he didn't need to elaborate on that, as he knew that Lan's parents already knew what Megaman was talking about, which was checking up on the boy. However, Megaman didn't expect what came out of Dr. Hikari's mouth next. It was almost total deja vu for the Navi.

"It's nice to know that Lan has such wonderful friends. And you as well, Megaman. That is another reason we came here." Megaman knew exactly where this was going, and he didn't like it one bit. Just like Lan, Megaman wasn't a fan of people worrying about him. He was in the total mindset that he is the one that should worry about everyone else, who should then worry about themselves more than him.

"We know that you haven't left in 5 days, and both of us are worried about you."  
"Don't worry about me, Dr. Hikari. Lan is who we should worry about."  
"We are worried for our son. However, not leaving a hospital room for a long time is very concerning."  
"I'm just fine. Maylu and the others had the same..."

Megaman stopped in the middle of his sentence. He didn't want to finish it, as he didn't want Dr. and Mrs. Hikari to know that Maylu and the others came in with the same concerns earlier as they were right now. However, Dr. Hikari was a little too quick on the ball for Megaman, as he was able to pick up on why the Navi stopped in the middle of his own sentence. It became evident to the older man that Lan's earlier visitors had voiced the same worries and concerns that him and his wife were about to voice during their visit.

With a heavy sigh, Megaman looked away from Lan's bed and dropped his head, his eyes now fixated on the floor. He knew that Dr. Hikari figured out what he was going to say, and that could only mean a lecture, be it short or long. However, he wasn't about to let the older man have the first word. 'If I say something first, I might be able to shorten his lecture.'

"I know you are going to say how worried you are, and that staying here for so long isn't healthy. But, I have to be here. I have to be by Lan." Megaman didn't move his eyes from the floor. He wasn't sure if he should look up at Dr. Hikari or if he should avoid eye contact altogether. His mind was going through all of the possible reasons why he should or should not look at the older man.

But, as luck would have it, he wouldn't need any of them.

"I understand, Megaman," Dr. Hikari said, with a smile across his face. The comment made the Navi lift his head up to see the face of the older man in front of him, on the other side of Lan's bed. "You are a very dedicated NetNavi, and a great friend to Lan. If you feel like you need to be here, then I am not one to argue."

Megaman couldn't stop a smile from crossing his face. He was sure that Dr. Hikari was going to go into some long lecture about how this might actually hurt his friendship with Lan or something along those lines. After Yai's reaction earlier that day, the Navi also had no doubts that the older man in front of him would do the same thing, only...more calmly and civilized. However, it was none of that. Dr. Hikari completely understood what Megaman was doing what he was doing. It felt as if yet another great weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

"Thanks, Dr. Hikari. You were a lot more understanding than Yai was. She actually yelled at me."  
"Ha-ha. That sounds like something Yai would do."  
"Yeah. I pretty much for a earful from her. But, it was probably for the better."  
"I'm sure it was. But, Megaman. Make sure you take care of yourself. Have something to eat when you can."

"And, you are in luck, Megaman!" Mrs. Hikari, who had been quiet for most of the conversation, finally spoke up, rather excitedly, to be exact. "I remembered how much you liked the salad I made a week ago. So, I made another one just for you to eat while you are here."

Mrs. Hikari leaned down and picked up a small box. It wasn't sealed completely. In fact, the flaps on it were arranged in a criss-cross fashion, so that any of the rain water from outside would not seep into the box. She opened it up rather quickly, but still not ripping any of the flaps. As the final flap was moved out of the way, she put her hands inside and pulled out a medium size bowl with saran wrap on top, handing it to Megaman.

"There you go, Megaman. And, here are some chopsticks and a fork, if you want it. Make sure you eat up!" Megaman sat the bowl on his lap, one of the logical places for the moment. He looked down at the bowl and saw a variety of green delectables beneath the layer of plastic on top.

He raised his head back up and smiled.

"Thanks a lot. I'll make sure I eat every bite of it."  
"I'm glad to hear that, Megaman."  
"Oh, I should be going. I left an experiment to come here. I should see how it turned out."  
"I should probably leave, too. I want to make sure the house is clean for when Lan comes home."

The both of them got up from their seats, exchanged smiles with the Megaman, and said their goodbyes. 'That was probably their shortest visit. I hope Lan wakes up soon.' Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Megaman was still worried about Lan. Even after all of the positive reinforcement from knowing Lan had so many people that cared for him, the Navi still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

The door closed behind the two parents as they left the room. Megaman noted that it closed silently, almost as if afraid that any sound would awaken Lan from his current state. Megaman stared at the bowl of garden greens on his lap, as well as the utensils that were placed on top of the saran wrap. He was hungry. There was no denying that fact. After all, Megaman hadn't really eaten anything substantial in the past 5 days, and this might be the last meal he eats before Lan's parents come tomorrow.

With that in mind, Megaman carefully undid the saran wrap, making sure that he threw it into the small trashcan that was beside his chair. He had already placed the fork and chopsticks on a small end table that was on the other side of his chair. The Navi looked down into the bowl, noting the different kind of garden greens inside: lettuce, spinach, carrots, and even some sliced tomatoes. Even though the carrots and tomatoes were not "garden greens," they were still delicious when combined with the lettuce and spinach.

Grabbing the chopsticks, Megaman took a few pieces of the lettuce and spinach, making sure to save the tomatoes and carrots for another bite. 'It's just as good as ever,' Megaman thought, as he finished off his first stick-full and continued to enjoy his meal.

However, as he stared down at the bowl, something in his mind wanted him to remember something. While the flavor of the meal was good, Megaman's mind started to wander. It wasn't so much that he was distracted, but more or less...moved, so to speak, by the food. He couldn't quite explain it. However, it became clear during his staring contest with the bowl.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

_Lan walked out of his room and knocked on the bathroom door. "You ok, Megaman? I heard you call me."_

"_Can you…come in here for a minute, Lan?"  
_"_Is everything ok, Megaman?"  
_"_Well…not really."_

_Lan walked inside to see Megaman had taken off his boots, gloves, helmet, shoulder pads, backpack, and chest emblem. He was in nothing but his jumpsuit. Megaman's blue hair was matted against his head, save for his bangs on the front and what normally came out from his helmet in back. His green eyes found Lan's brown eye and they instantly locked on each other. Lan looked at Megaman, and had to admit to himself that he looked a little cute like that._

"_What's the problem?"_

"_Well…I've never taken a shower before." Megaman's face began to flush bright red. He was about to explode in embarrassment. "I really don't want to ask you this, but can you…show me how?"_

_Now, Lan's face started to flush a bright red. He had never been naked in front of Megaman before. Now, Megaman wants him to SHOW him how to take a shower. Couldn't he just tell him? Well…Megaman was his best friend. 'I guess it couldn't hurt to do him this one favor.'_

"_Sure…I guess."_

_Megaman gave Lan a thank you nod, and started to strip himself of his jumpsuit. Lan turned around and began to unzip his orange vest, take off his shoes and socks, remove his shirt, and unbutton his shorts. It was only a minute after their conversation that both of them stood before each other, completely naked. Both of the boys' cheeks were still flushed with a bright red embarrassment._

_But, they both pressed on, as Lan showed Megaman how to draw water for the shower. Megaman watched to make sure he committed this to memory, seeing that he would be able to come back to the human world whenever he wanted. Lan then tested the temperature of the water, making sure it wasn't too hot or too cold. He gave Megaman a smile to let him know the water was just right, and they both stepped inside._

"_Wow. This is such a great feeling. I've never felt actual water before," Megaman exclaimed. He was noting how every drop of the warm water felt when it impacted his skin. And, he agreed with Lan. It didn't make him feel hot, but it didn't make him shiver in cold. It was just right._

"_Yeah. A good water temperature feels great after a hard day's work." Lan was standing behind Megaman, letting him get the most water, as he gave Megaman verbal instructions on how to start._

"_First, wet your hair so that when you use the shampoo, you will get a lot of suds. That way, it will really clean your hair." Lan gently moved Megaman's head under the shower faucet, making sure that his hair got wet enough for the shampoo to work. Lan then took a small amount of shampoo and started to rub it in Megaman's hair. His hair wasn't as tangled as Lan thought. Megaman then lifted his own hands and imitated the same motions Lan was doing, working the shampoo into his hair and scalp._

"_Ok, while you let it soak in, take the soap bar and rub it around the parts of your body that the water is hitting. That will clean your skin." Lan grabbed the bar of soap from it's holder on the side of the shower and started to rub it against Megaman's skin, making sure he cleaned. Megaman was still in awe with all of the sensations he was feeling. However, he pulled his mind together and grabbed a hold of the hand Lan was holding the soap in, imitating the same motions._

_Both Lan and Megaman's insecurities about being naked in front of the other were starting to diminish. 'This isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I guess I was just being silly," Lan thought, until…_

_Both of their faces flushed red again as the hand with the soap in it brushed against Megaman's member. Lan was embarrassed that he touched that area, and Megaman was embarrassed that he didn't pay attention as to where he was rubbing the soap._

_They stood in the running water in silence. However, it was Megaman who broke that silence._

"_I guess I figured out how to do this. If you want to leave, Lan, you can."  
_"_Sure…ok. Here, take the soap."_

_Megaman grabbed the soap bar out of Lan's hand as Lan stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. Megaman continued to move the bar of soap around his body until he felt it was adequately clean. He then washed the shampoo out of his hair, making sure all of it was washed out. He stepped out, grabbed a tower, and saw Lan sitting on the floor, looking away from the shower. Both of them were a little embarrassed at what happened. Once again, Megaman broke the silence._

"_Alright, Lan. It's all yours."_

_Lan turned around to see Megaman wrapped in a towel, but still dripping from the water._

"_Ok, Megaman. Oh, I found you some clothes. I left them on my desk chair."  
_"_Thanks, Lan."_

_Megaman left the bathroom and proceeded to Lan's room. He found the clothing folded neatly on the chair. He figured that mom must have folded those clothes, as Lan was no good at it. He snickered at the thought._

_The pile contained white boxers, blue jeans with an elastic waistband, and a green t-shirt. Megaman took notice that the green of the shirt matched the color of his eyes. He undid the towel and fully dried himself, then placed the boxers on first, followed by the pants and then the shirt._

_It was a few minutes later when Lan walked through the door, still dripping from the shower, and wrapped in a towel as well. He looked at his now dressed NetNavi in the chair in front of him. He thought that the clothes suited Megaman well. They fit just right._

_Their eyes locked on each other again. However, this time, it was Lan who broke the awkward silence._

"_Ummm…Megaman? Would you mind…"_

"_Oh, sure Lan." Megaman already knew what Lan was going to say._

_The little incident in the shower had restored their insecurities about being naked in front of the other. Megaman turned the chair around and faced the window, while Lan dried himself and dressed in his pajamas. He gave Megaman a tap on the shoulder to let him know that it was ok to look. Lan went to sit on the bed, and Megaman soon joined him. As soon as Megaman sat down, he felt a warm embrace from Lan as he was hugged by the boy. He returned the hug as they sat side by side._

"_You know, Megaman…I was so worried when I saw your hologram just break up like it did. I thought I lost you."  
_"_Don't worry, Lan. I'm fine now, and everything is fine."  
_"_I know but…the UnderNet Mafia is worrying me now."  
_"_We can beat them, Lan. I mean…we beat World Three, Grave, Neo World Three, and pushed back the Zoanoroids. We can handle what the UnderNet Mafia can throw at us."  
_"_You're right, Megaman."_

_A soft, but somewhat commanding voice was heard from downstairs. "Lan, make sure you go to sleep soon. You don't want to be late for school in the morning."_

_Lan got up from the bed and opened the door, which he had closed upon his entry after his shower, and yelled back down. "Ok, Mom. Good night." Lan then closed the door again, and proceeded to turn the lights off, leaving nothing but the light from outside to shine in from the window. He returned to his spot next to Megaman on the bed, tilting his head towards the ceiling in what looked like a thoughtful position._

"_This is nice."  
_"_Lan?"  
_"_I mean this situation. You being able to move from the Cyberworld to the human world. It's just so unbelievable. I feel like this is all a dream and I am about to wake up from it."  
_"_I feel the same way. Just being able to eat food was a wonderful experience."  
_"_Yeah…"_

_Lan kept looking up at the ceiling, while Megaman tilted his head down and looked towards his lap. "You know…I have actually dreamed about it…and there is still one thing I want to do."_

_Lan heard Megaman's words and was a little confused. "What is that?" As Lan tilted his head down to look at Megaman, he felt a hand go behind his head, gently pulling his head towards Megaman until their lips made contact. Lan couldn't believe what was happening. He was embarrassed when his hand brushed against Megaman's member in the shower, but this really did it in. Luckily, it was too dark in the room for Megaman to see Lan's face blushing profusely._

_The moment seemed to last a millennium, and Megaman was enjoying it. He couldn't see Lan's face, as he had closed his eyes and just let his instincts take over. As he opened his eyes, he saw Lan; his eyes closed now, becoming fully absorbed in the kiss._

_Lan's eyes finally opened after what seemed to have been hours, but was only 10 seconds. He then broke the kiss to get a breath. His eyes, once again, locked onto Megaman's, and Megaman's onto his. He quickly processed what had happened and figured it out. _

"_Megaman…I never knew…How long have you had these feelings?"  
_"_Since the Pharaohman incident. I had liked you as a friend before then, but you coming back to save me after I was deleted…I found a whole new level of adoration for you. And that level, I think…was love."  
_"_Why didn't you tell me earlier?"  
_"_I guess…I was scared that you didn't feel the same way. I was afraid I might get…shot down."  
_"_Megaman…I could never shoot you down."  
_"_Lan…"_

_Lan could only smile at this comment, and, this time, it was he who pulled Megaman to him and pressed their lips together. However, instead of one hand, Lan wrapped his arms around Megaman's neck._

_Megaman sank into the kiss, enjoying every passing second as it dragged on and on. Finally, he broke the kiss to get a small breath of air. Lan only looked at him, still smiling._

"_What about you, Lan? How long have you waited?"  
_"_Not as long as you. I think around the time we defeat the Grave Virus Beast."  
_"_Why didn't you tell me, while we are on the subject?"  
_"_I guess for the same reason as you…I was afraid you didn't feel the same."  
_"_Hehe. And, like you…I could never turn you down."  
_"_Megaman…"_

_~~!~~  
__~~!~~_

"..." Megaman's head shot up from the bowl after hearing a sound that did not come from him. It also did not come from the machines in the room, as he already couldn't hear the noises those made, having been in the room for 5 days straight.

At first, the Navi thought that someone came into the room while he was daydreaming about when he and Lan confessed their feelings for each other. He looked around to see if anyone had snuck in. His first thought was to look for anyone wearing light blue or teal colored clothing, as they were probably part of the nursing staff or even one of Lan's doctors. Unfortunately, his visual search of the room proved to be a failure. There wasn't anyone else in the room besides him and Lan.

"..." Another sound. 'Where are these coming from? Wait...Could Lan be...' Megaman cut himself off in mid-thought as he looked at the person laying in the bed in front of him. He was a little disappointed that Lan wasn't moving at all. But, still, the Navi was baffled as to where the sounds were coming from.

"..." Yet another sound. Now, Megaman was starting to get driven the point of insanity. Where were the sounds coming from? 'Am I hallucinating?' The Navi couldn't be hallucinating...could he? He was, after all, just a program that was in the human world. It wasn't like he would be able to experience a psychological dysfunction like hallucinating. It would go against his programming.

Megaman sighed to himself. "I guess I am just hearing thi..." By chance, Megaman was looking down at Lan's left hand, and was shocked beyond words. He looked on with wide eyes, as Lan's fingers were starting to move. 'Could it be? Is Lan...waking up?'

His mental hypothesis was only confirmed more as Lan's entire left hand was now moving, more or less in a fashion that resulted in his hand turning into a balled-up fist, then back to normal.

Soon afterwards, his left arm started to move, making very slight, but noticeable movement in an up and down manner. It was the moment Megaman had been waiting for! All of his waiting over the past 5 days was finally paying off, as he believed Lan was waking up before his very eyes. He didn't know whether to be more shocked or excited. It was just an absolutely...worthwhile moment for the Navi.

He pulled his mind together, knowing full well that someone from the hospital staff needed to be contacted about the current situation. However, his thoughts were not at 100 percent, as he momentarily forgot where the call button was located, the same one that would open a voice link to the nursing station on that floor of the hospital.

Finally realizing that someone needed to be called right away, he looked around and recalled the various buttons above Lan's bed. He quickly locked his eyes on the small panel and searched for the proper button to press. 'There it is!' Megaman's hand reached out and hit the orange button labeled 'call.'

"Hello? You paged the nursing station?"  
"Yes! I am in Lan Hikari's room."  
"Is there a problem?"  
"No, no! His left arm is starting to move."  
"It is? We'll send someone down right way!"

With that, the comm link was closed.

Megaman looked on as more and more of Lan's body started to move. His eyes occasionally looked over at the heart-rate monitor. It was starting to show a steady increase in his blood pressure, as well as other vital functions. He couldn't measure the feelings he felt right now. There were so many running through his head, he didn't know how to feel. Luckily for him, his body decided to make up his mind for him.

He looked back at Lan, tears starting to form under his eyes. However, they were not tears of sadness. Nope. These were tears of joy. All of the waiting that Megaman had done over the past 5 days was starting to pay off. All of the worry, all of the sadness, all of the guilt...it was all behind him. He was concentrating fully on what was in front of him, not what was behind him.

"..." Another sound of Lan. The Navi scanned over the boy's body, looking for the source of the sound. His search came to an end as he saw Lan's eyelids were starting to shake. For Megaman, this could only mean one thing: Lan was very close to regaining full consciousness. Megaman was filled with emotions, almost to the point of being ecstatic with the current situation. 'His eyes are open!' Megaman was filled with joy at the sight.

And, was then filled with horror as Lan muttered the words, "W..w...who are you?"

~~!~~  
~~!~~

_**It finally happened! Lan officially has Amnesia! And, yet another long type for me, as well! WOW! Over 17,000 words! 35 pages in OpenOffice, as well. Talk about some major work here!**_

_**Anyway, please remember to vote in the poll in the profile, and please leave a few reviews if you feel like it.**_

_**Also! Make sure you look out for a SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT in Chapter 13. I think you will all be pleasantly surprised with it!**_


	13. Chapter 13: The New Lan

**_Hey everyone!_**

**_Well, here it is! Chapter 13. Lan has gotten Amnesia, and it is up to his family and friends to help him regain the memories that he has lost. This isn't going to be easy, especially for Megaman!_**

**_So, without further delay, here is Chapter 13!_**

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Chapter 13 – The New Lan

Lan sat on a table-chair, one of the many that doctors use in their examination rooms. He didn't know exactly was it was, but from the angle of the back part, as it was at about a 30 degree angle, he could guess that it folded flat. A layer of thin, white paper was placed on it from one edge to the other, both ends of the paper tucked into small slots to keep it from shifting while a patient sat or laid on it.

The lighting in the room was rather bright. There were multiple rows of florescent lights on the ceiling, all of which were turned on and shining brightly. Lan wasn't sure if his eyes could take the strain from the light the bulbs were giving off. Thankfully, the paint on the walls of the examination room was rather dark. So, to Lan's luck, it absorbed a lot of the light that was coming from the bulbs overhead.

He looked around the room in confusion. The room he was in did not seem familiar to him in any sense, and it was starting to make him uneasy. Actually, everything from when he was taken out of another room and moved into this one was all stuff he didn't remember. He was told by some of the doctors and nurses that he was in the hospital. So, he knew that much, and, oddly enough, he trusted their word. He knew what a hospital was for, however, he did not feel sick. Aside from his head aching beyond words, he didn't think that he needed to be here, wherever "here" was.

The door to the room slowly opened as a tall man wearing a long white coat walked in. Lan's attention immediately focused in on the new being entering the enclosed space. He was able to spot that the man had a dress shirt and dress pants on under the white coat. He wasn't entirely sure, but he guessed in his mind that he was a doctor of some kind.

"Hello, Lan. How are you feeling today?"  
"Ummm...hi..."

The doctor looked at the boy sitting on the table-chair. He could see in Lan's eyes that the boy was very uneasy about his surroundings. After such a sharp blow to the head, the doctor wasn't going to disregard the possibility that Lan might extremely disorientated, but he needed to make sure he was 100 percent certain that he knew what Lan's condition was before he made any conclusions.

"So, how are you feeling today?"  
"I'm...feeling ok, I guess. My head hurts a lot, though."  
"Well, that's to be expected. Before you came here, you took a really sharp blow to the head."  
"I did? I...don't remember..."

The doctor gave Lan a bit of a stare, then picked up a clipboard that had some paper on it, grabbing a pen in the process, and then started to write stuff down. Lan wasn't sure what the doctor was writing. In truth, the boy wanted to know exactly what the doctor was writing down. If it was something that had to do with him, Lan wanted to be the first to know.

"Tell me something, Lan. What do you remember before you were brought in here?"  
"Well, I...I don't remember much."  
"Can you tell me what you do remember?"  
"I remember...someone else was there when I opened my eyes."  
"Do you remember what this person looked like?"  
"He had these really green eyes, almost like emeralds. And he was...crying."

The doctor continued to jot down whatever he was writing on the piece of paper attached to the clipboard. Lan had leaned his head back in the a thoughtful manner, trying to remember what he could after he woke up. He did remember Megaman being there when he opened his eyes, but he didn't know who Megaman was. All we could recall was the fact that the person right there by his bed had emerald green eyes, and he was crying.

Lan tilted his head back down, looking at the physician across from him. The doctor was periodically looking up from his clipboard at Lan, then went back to writing whatever it was he was writing. The doctor could only be thankful that Lan was still responding to his name. He was still aware of who he was, which was always a good sign.

"Am I...sick...or something?"  
"Well, that is what we are trying to figure out right now."  
"But...I don't feel sick. My head just hurts a lot."  
"I know, Lan. However, not every sickness can be felt. So, we have to check to see if you are sick and can't feel that you are."  
"...ok"

The older man started to feel sorry for Lan. The boy had no idea who his family was, who his friends were, or anything of that nature. All he knew was his name and that was it. His current state showed him as being extremely uneasy, as everything around was still unfamiliar. He could even see Lan's hands shaking every now and then. The doctor knew that it wasn't cold enough in the room to make him shiver the way he was. He could only conclude that Lan was frightened or nervous about the situation.

The next few minutes passed by quickly, as there was little to no talking between the two in the room. The doctor did various examinations on Lan, such as blood pressure, mouth check, ear check, ocular check, and several others that were considered routine. Each time, Lan would start to flinch a little bit. The doctor took note of this, and explained what each exam did, hoping that his explanations would help to put the boy's uneasiness to rest. It worked, for the most part. Since he was still unfamiliar with it all, Lan was still worried about everything that the doctor was doing to him.

"Alright. That just about does it." The Doctor wrote down a few more things on his clipboard, looking at Lan with a smile. However, the smile was only something to put the boy into a false sense of security. The truth was that the older man knew what was wrong with Lan, and nothing that the hospital or prescription drugs offered with help him with what was wrong. He knew from the talks he had with Lan.

The boy was suffering from a case of Amnesia.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

The waiting room was nearly full. Almost everyone that Lan knew was in there, waiting...waiting for the doctor to come and, hopefully, give them good news. Aside from a few people that were in the same waiting room for other people, everyone else there was waiting for Lan to emerge from the other side of the doors. He was being examined by his primary physician, and was expected to be released today...3 additional days since he woke up.

His parents were the most notably worried, however, Dex, Maylu, Yai, Dingo and Tory were right up there, as well. Miyu, Sal, and Maysa were also present and accounted for, all in their non-Net Agent clothing. Ms. Mari had gotten word from Lan's friends that he was awake, rushing down the hospital, picking up the children in the process. However, the most surprising of people to show was up Chaud. Additionally, of all the people to call him about it, it had to be Yai that called him up regarding Lan's status.

And, naturally, Megaman was there, as well. He sat in a chair, which was much more comfortable than the chair he was in during Lan's extended recovery. It had much more cushioning on it, giving off such comfort that he didn't want to move from his spot, which he didn't. He was too busy staring down at his lap, knowing full well what had happened a few days earlier. Lan woke up, but didn't remember a thing. While Megaman was sure that the doctors knew what was going on by now, he didn't tell anyone that he already knew what was happening. He already knew that Lan had Amnesia.

It was only a matter of time before the doctor came out and gave everyone else the bad news.

Which, unfortunately, happened all too soon for Megaman. As he was still deep in thought, Lan's primary physician came out from the doorway leading to small examination rooms. Lan had been moved from the Extended Recovery rooms to another floor in the hospital used for regular recovery.

Lan's parents were the first to speak when the doctor came out.

"Is Lan alright? Will he be ok?"  
"What happened to my little boy?"

Lan's friends wanted to say something as well, but with the current emotional state which his parents were in, this was the time that they needed to speak to the doctor the most. Everyone else could wait their turn, or even just be present for emotional support for the middle-aged parents.

"Well," the doctor began. "I am going to be straightforward with you. The hit on the head that Lan sustained caused some most undesirable effects. Aside from a moderate concussion, the blow to his head also has caused Lan to go into a state of forgetfulness. In other words..."

"Amnesia." Dr. Hikari interrupted the physician, finishing off the other man's statement. A look of dread washed over Mrs. Hikari, as well as the rest of the people in the room. This wasn't good. No, this wasn't good at all. How was Lan suppose to do anything when he couldn't even remember who his friend's were? How was Lan suppose to perform his duties as a NetSaver if he didn't know who the criminals were? How was Lan suppose to be able to NetBattle if he couldn't even remember basic Navi operation?

The physician continued. "Unfortunately, yes. He has come down with a moderate to severe case of Amnesia." The doctor's words finally solidified any unspoken and unexpressed worry, fear, dread, and, to say the least, fright. Mrs. Hikari was ready to burst into tears once everything that was said finally sank in. Everyone else in the room was just in plain shock with the news that was just told to them.

"Is there anything that can be done? Is there a treatment plan that exists?" Chaud's question grabbed the attention of the physician.

"I was just about to address that, as well," the man said, not changing the look on his face. "The problem with Amnesia is that it cannot be treated with drugs, surgery, or a change in the patient's lifestyle. While there are drugs to cause Amnesia for short period of time, like when a patient goes into surgery, there is nothing that will help to get the patient's memory back faster."

Dr. Hikari spoke up when he figured that the physician was done. "So, in other words, it is like a hangover. Time is the only cure for it." Several of the children look at Lan's father, hoping that he was right. The physician simply nodded his head, thereby showing that the other man was correct in his assumption.

"That's correct. There is no drug or treatment that the medical industry can offer Lan that will assist in the recovery of his memories. Amnesia is something that has to run it's course completely before it will dissipate," the physician said, looking around the waiting room. He saw several nods from the group, showing that they understood what he was talking about. 'That should make things easier.'

Unable to just stand around and listen to everyone else, Maylu finally spoke up. "Is there anything that we can do that will help Lan?"

The older man smiled down at the girl. "Yes, there is. Research has discovered that Amnesia patients can recover almost all of their lost memories if their surroundings are not changed. In other words, when Lan leaves the hospital today, everyone here should try their best to make sure he gets back into his regular lifestyle."

He got several more nods from the people in the room as he continued on. "Surrounding him with familiar people, places, and objects, is the best way that you can help him during this time. However, I will have to caution and warn you..." The physician stopped in the middle of his sentence, as though he didn't want to finish it. Everyone in the waiting room stared as him, waiting for what he was about to warn them about.

"Amnesia isn't just physical, but it is also psychological in some aspects. Should Lan experience a traumatic event while he still has Amnesia, such as another accident, a hostage situation, or even the death of someone close to him, he could regain all of his memories back in only a few seconds."

A few eyes in the room shimmered with some hope, even though they did know what such a drastic event would mean for the boy. Megaman's attention was still focused on the physician, but his mind wander on whether or not Lan would ever remember that they were the best of friends, the best NetSaver team around...the best to love the other. The Navi couldn't shake the feeling that Lan would never remember the talks they had, the adventures they went on, or the nights they shared.

"That doesn't sound like such a bad thing, except for it being a traumatic event." Ms. Mari finally decided to speak up, after standing idle for longer than she had wanted.

"It's actually a double-edged sword," the physician began. "While he can overcome his Amnesia in such a very short time, the psychological effects of such an emergence of memories could cause him to enter into a state of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder...which may never go away. He would have to live with it for the rest of his life."

Somber feelings could be seen in the faces and eyes of everyone in the room. It would have been such a blessing for Lan to get his memories back so quickly, but the consequences of such a blessing seemed to outweigh it's merit. It certainly was not an option to put Lan through some type of traumatic event, even if it was fake, to get him to be cure of his Amnesia.

The physician smiled reassuringly at everyone in the room. "But, we shouldn't think about that. As long as he gets back into his normal routine, he should get back almost everything he lost. Time will only tell."

Mrs. and Dr. Hikari looked at one another, then to everyone else in the waiting room, then finally at the physician. They simply nodded their heads in understanding.

Seeing that everyone in the room was on the same page, the physician left them and went to get Lan from the Exam Room. He walked through the double-doors that went to the interior of the building, then down another hallway which lead to the out-patient exam rooms. Like most hospitals, the hallways were well-lit with white light, as well as white paint along the walls, and even ceiling.

It was a rather short walk, as the physician finally arrived at the exam room he was just in only 15 minutes ago. He opened the door to see that Lan was still inside, still sitting on the table-chair in the middle of the room. He seemed to be staring off into space, perhaps thinking about what was going to happen to him once he was released from the exam room, not to mention the hospital itself.

"Lan. Would you please follow me?" The physician's words tore Lan out of his thoughts, causing him to look around and pinpoint exactly where the sound came from. It only took him a few seconds before he realized that his physician had returned to the room. The boy didn't even realize that the older man had even walked into the room. He was completely absorbed in his thoughts.

"Oh...sure."  
"Alright, then. This way, please."  
"Where are we going?"  
"We are going to the Waiting Room, where you will be signed out of the hospital, and be taken home by your family and friends."  
"Family and friends?"

The two left the room and walked down the hallway. The physician truly felt sorry for Lan. To be so young and come down with an almost life-changing condition like Amnesia...it was a sad sight to see.

"Of course. Everyone has family and friends. They are the people who care about us."  
"I...I...I don't remember who mine are."  
"Don't worry, Lan. In due time, we hope that will change."

Lan simply nodded his head a little bit as the two approached the doors to the Waiting Room. The physician slowly opened one of the doors for himself to fit through, then proceeded to open the other one for Lan to go through. The sound of the doors opening made everyone in the Waiting Room stand up and look in the direction of the doors. Initially, they only saw the physician emerge from behind the doors, which caused a few of Lan's friends to worry that he was still back in the Exam Room. However, only a second later, Lan came from the other door, guided by the physician.

Everyone had a joyful expression on their face. However, it was Mrs. Hikari who was the first to do anything besides stare at Lan has he walked into the room.

"Oh, Lan! How are you feeling?" Just like any other mother, Mrs. Hikari's first instinct was to run up to her son and give him a hug after such an ordeal. And, naturally, it was exactly what she tried to do. She moved quickly to her son, only to be greeted by a look of shock and even a little bit of fear. She saw this, and slowed in her approach until she was only standing in front of the boy.

"You...you don't remember, do you?"  
"N...no. I don't remember you."

Mrs. Hikari let out a silent sigh, regained what composer she had lost, and smiled at her son. "Well, I guess that's to be expected. But, I'm sure you will remember soon." Her hopes in making such a comment was to ease the confusion she could see in Lan's face. The way his eyes gingerly shook and the expression on his face let Mrs. Hikari know exactly what her son was feeling at that moment.

Behind her, almost everyone else was ready to try and help Lan on his road to recovery. However, Dr. Hikari noticed that something was out of place. He knew in his mind that Lan needed to be eased back into his normal lifestyle, but something in his immediate surroundings was setting off alarms in his mind. 'Something is out of place. What could it be?' His turned to head to the left and noticed exactly what his mind was telling him: Megaman was still in the human world; outside his PET.

Taking Lan's current distraction into account, he concluded that if Lan's recovery were to go smoothly, Megaman couldn't be in the human world, lest Lan get the wrong impression about NetNavis.

Making sure that he spoke as softly as he could, Dr. Hikari turned his attention to the Navi standing beside him. "Megaman. You should probably go back to your PET."

"I can't be here?"  
"Exactly. We need to make sure Lan's recovery is smooth. While I hate to say it, you being here in the human world won't be the best thing to help that along."  
"Why not? I was...am part of his normal lifestyle."  
"That may be true, but he may get the wrong impression of NetNavis if one is in the human world while he recovers."  
"Oh...I see."  
"As his recovery goes further and further along, we can include you back in the human world. But, until then, you should probably stay in your PET."  
"Yeah. It's probably for the best."

Wasting no more time in talking, Megaman noticed that Lan was still distracted, then used the NetLine to get back to the PET which was held by Dr. Hikari next to him. However, something wasn't right with it. Right before his pixilated and went back into the PET, Megaman noticed that it took more effort than usual to complete the transition.

'No. I can't worry about that now. Lan needs everyone to help him. I can't worry about me and him.' Shrugging off the transition delay as being caused by stress, Megaman sat quietly inside the PET Cyberworld and waited to be handed off to Lan.

Megaman could hear everything that was going on outside of his PET. He could tell that everyone was still in shock over the news the doctor had given them, but they were all trying to do their part to the best of their ability. He could hear comments from Maylu, Yai, Dex, Tory, and Chaud, as well as Maysa and Sal. He didn't, however, hear a single word that sound like it came from Miyu. He could only assume that she was keeping quiet, like she normally did unless it was necessary for her to speak.

All of the other talking seemed to be nothing more than everyone introducing themselves to Lan. While listening to the boy's voice, Megaman could tell that Lan was a little overwhelmed by everything coming at him at once. He was actually surprised that the physician did not say anything about what was going on. Personally, Megaman thought that everyone introducing themselves this quickly was something that would have caused more harm than healing to Lan at this point in time.

Suddenly, Megaman's curiosity peaked when he heard Dr. Hikari taking to Lan, amongst other things that he heard.

"I know this is probably a lot for you to take in right now, Lan. However, there is one more person that you need to meet."  
"Really? But...there's no one else in the room."  
"Not in visual sight. However, he is right here."  
"What is that?"  
"It's called a PET, short for Personal Terminal. Inside most PETs is a program called a NetNavi."  
"NetNavi?"  
"It's an artificial intelligence program, designed to provide assistance to NetOps, who are people that operate a PET."

Dr. Hikari lifted the device so that it was at eye-level with Lan. The boy looked over the device, somewhat dumbfounded that something so small had a program that he could talk with. Even though he has amnesia, he still remembered the basics of what an artificial intelligence program was.

"So...inside the PET is a NetNavi?"  
"That's correct, Lan. Inside this specific PET is your NetNavi."  
"My NetNavi? I have one of them?"  
"Of course. I programmed him myself and you got him as a gift for getting into the 5th grade."  
"Will I...meet my NetNavi soon?"  
"Of course."

Dr. Hikari looked down at the device, making sure that his voice was directed at the PET so that Megaman knew he was being addressed by the older man. "Alright. You can introduce yourself to him, now."

Megaman prepared to be re-introduced to his NetOp. He stood up and planted his feet firmly on the ground of the PET's Cyberworld. He knew that he couldn't put a smile on his face out of joy or happiness. He was too overcome with grief and sadness to even try to change his mood. So, Megaman resorted to the next best thing that he could do at a time like this, the only thing that his mind was able to do; feign a smile.

In front of the Navi, who had been waiting for a few moments, appeared a small screen. On the screen was the face of Lan, who was looking right at the PET monitor, still with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Are...you my NetNavi?"  
"I am. My name is Megaman."  
"Megaman?"  
"You bet, the one and only. And, like your father said, he programmed me himself."  
"Yeah, he told me. He sure is really smart."  
"Ha-ha. That's for sure."

Everyone was surprised and happy to see what happened next. Lan, who was completely unaware of everything that has happened to him, smiled and let out a small chuckle. Megaman and Lan looked at each other, exchanging their smiles and small laughs. The boy kept looking down at the device and the face on the screen. Lan couldn't shake the feeling that Megaman wasn't just his NetNavi. He had a feeling that Megaman was something more...like his best friend or something to that effect. 'My very own NetNavi...programmed by my dad. I guess he's someone important.'

The introductions continued as Lan was then introduced to the rest of the people present, which happened to be everyone else's NetNavis. Maylu introduced Roll, Dex did the same for Gutsman, as well as Yai and Tory for Glide and Iceman. "Maysa" didn't have a NetNavi, but Commander Beef did. However, being a Net Agent, he couldn't show Lan, or anyone else for that matter, that he was Sharkman's NetOp. However, Miyu and Sal were still able to let Lan meet Skullman and Woodman. Finally, Chaud took a few moments to show Protoman to Lan.

Dr. Hikari soon put his hand on Lan's shoulder. "I know this has been a lot for you to take in. But, we are done for the day. We should get you home so you can eat and rest." The boy looked at the older man whose hand was still on his shoulder. He wasn't sure if should smile or just nod his head. However, Dr. Hikari saw what Lan's eyes were saying and simply smiled.

Dr. Hikari turned to everyone who was present in the room. "Thank you for coming, everyone. We'll make sure Lan is taken care of." Everyone else in the room, save for Lan, Dr. and Mrs. Hikari, all nodded their heads as the family of three walked to out of the waiting room, down a wide, but short hallway, and into an alcove where the elevators were located. Dr. Hikari had already signed Lan out of the hospital while the physician was bringing the boy to the Waiting Room. No was going to object to them leaving. It was a stressful day for everyone, especially Lan. So, taking him home right away so he can eat and get some rest was probably the best thing that could be done.

The elevator moved down the shaft, heading for the parking garage, where Dr. Hikari requested a SciLab van to pick him and his family up. The doors opened to a view of solid concrete all around, for as far as the opposite wall on the other side of the lot. Many of the parking spots were vacant, notably the ones that were visitor parking only. Spots that were close to the elevators had signs posted by them, half were blue, while the other half were white. Lan peered at them all, discovering that the blue spots were handicap parking, while the white signs indicated reserved spots for top hospital staff, such as Chief of Surgery, Chief Resident, and the like.

"There it is. Right on time, actually." Dr. Hikari's words redirected the attention of Mrs. Hikari and Lan to the van pulling into the parking garage, which then came to a slow and calm stop in front of the trio.

"Alright. Everyone in."  
"Is this our van?"  
"Ha-ha. No, Lan. This van belongs to SciLab."  
"SciLab?"  
"That's short of Science Laboratories. It's where I do all of my work."  
"You're a scientist? I guess that explains why you are so smart."  
"Ha-ha. Actually, I get that from my father. But, we can talk more about that at home."  
"Ok..."

Lan still wasn't sure about everything going on around him. He wasn't sure where he lived. He wasn't sure what town or city he was in. He wasn't sure what school he want to. He wasn't sure if these people were really his family. He couldn't remember a damn thing. All he knew was that he might get some answers at wherever this van was going to take him.

So, even with his doubts in mind, Lan nodded his head and climbed into the van. He was followed closely by is mother and then his father, who gave the driver the signal to proceed out of the parking garage.

Once everyone was in a seat and had their seat belts on, the driver shifted back into Drive and starting to move towards the exit of the garage. The van moved at a slow rate, as the speed limit within the parking garage was low, probably around 25kph. Lan could tell that the exit was in the same direction as the entrance, since the van took a few turns while on it's way. He saw several parked cars go by while looking out the window of his seat, trying to sort out everything that had happened so far that day, as well as envisioning what was still to come.

The van finally left the parking garage and was now on a city road. Lan continued to look out of his his window, now staring at the pedestrians on the sidewalk. He looked around, noticing that there was no sunlight on the ground, no shadows. However, there was no water on the ground, which meant that it hasn't rained. He looked up at the sky and saw a thick cover of gray clouds, creating an overcast-type of look.

"Hey, Lan. Are you ok," Megaman called from the PET. He seemed to have noticed that Lan was becoming distracted by what he was seeing outside. The boy looked around for the source of the statement, but to no avail. However, afterwards, he realized that it was Megaman who was speaking to him, and he lifted the PET to look at the monitor.

"Megaman...Yeah. I'm fine."  
"You seemed to be a little distracted. Are you sure you're ok?"  
"I'm fine. I'm just...just trying to make sense of this all."

Megaman wasn't sure on how he should respond to that. While he would be there for Lan when the boy needed him, there would be times when he would be of no use to Lan. Perhaps that was one of those moments. Perhaps this was one of those times that Lan needed to think about something on his own. Or, maybe it was something that he needed to help Lan with. Regrettably, even if this was one of those times when he needed to help Lan, he didn't know how.

Instead, he simply nodded his head in agreement with Lan, who then lowed the device back to his lap and continued to look out the window, watching more pedestrians and now, some vehicles, go by. 'This is a big city. Do I really live here?' As more and more people and cars passed by his window, Lan looked on at the shear amount of buildings that were in his sight. It was an absolutely stunning sight to behold. The boy briefly pulled his eyes away from the window, looking down at the device in his hand.

'Megaman...guess I have a lot to look forward to.'

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Here we are. Home sweet home," Mrs. Hikari exclaimed as her, Lan, and Dr. Hikari exited the SciLab van.

Lan looked at the house that was now within his eyesight. It was, to his eyes, one of the most unique houses he had ever seen. Comparing the house in front of him to the neighboring houses, he could tell right away that it was most likely a one-of-a-kind design. The painting on the house was especially unique. The siding was colored in white, while the trimming was a mildly dark blue. At the top-center of the house was a half-circle piece that was colored orange. He had to admit to himself that all of the colors did blend together quite well.

Mrs. Hikari was the first to get to the front door of the house, most likely because she had a key. Even though Lan did not know it, his father was very forgetful when it came to where he put things. And, it just so happened that today he had forgotten his house key, well, inside the house.

The front door was opened as Mrs. Hikari stepped inside, followed closely by Dr. Hikari and then Lan. 'Wow. This is a nice place,' Lan thought as he walked threw the front door. The décor was mostly modern for the time. He looked into the Living room to see a corner sectional with a rectangular coffee table in the middle. The TV was situated in front of and parallel to the part of the sectional against the back wall of the room.

Lan's eyes explored the house even further as he peered into the kitchen. He took notice that there was one entryway into the kitchen, aside from the back door. Between the Living room and kitchen was an open wall where a small breakfast bar was. Inside the kitchen, Lan noticed that the appliances were all updated, from the microwave to the dishwasher and even the trash compacter. He could also see a small island in the middle of the kitchen.

"Well, Lan. Welcome home." Dr. Hikari's voice brought Lan's attention to the older man standing behind him. He had a smile on his face, most likely trying to reassure the boy that this was his home, and that the two people with him in the house were his family.

"T..thanks. I guess it's good to be home."  
"He-he. It always is."

Dr. Hikari appeared to be walking into the kitchen when he suddenly turned to face Lan once again. "Oh, I almost forgot. I wanted to show you something before we ate dinner." The older man turned around and went to a small nightstand by the staircase. He grabbed a rectangular-shaped object from the nightstand and proceeded to move in Lan's direction. By now, Lan wasn't as timid as he was when he first met everyone for the second time in his life earlier that day. He knew by now that everyone was polite and had a deep level of care for him.

Lan looked on as Dr. Hikari gave him the object. The older man simply smiled, not giving an explanation as to why he had just given the object to the boy, and then went into the kitchen. Lan looked down at it, discovering that it was a photograph of him, Mrs. Hikari, and Dr. Hikari. Any doubts that Lan had about the older couple being his family vanished from him mind. 'So...this is my family. We all look so happy.'

The boy was so caught up in his thoughts that, at first, he didn't realize that Megaman was trying to get his attention. "Hey, Lan." He finally snapped out of his trace, took the PET out of his pocket, and looked at the device, noticed that Megaman's image on the screen.

"You look a little sad, Lan. Everything ok?"  
"Oh, I'm fine. Just looking at a few things."

There was a brief moment of silence between the two before Lan spoke once again. "Hey, Megaman. Were...we a happy family?"

"Lan?"  
"I mean...did we ever fight with each other?"  
"Well...you and I have had our share of conflict, but it was always resolved."  
"What about my parents and me?"  
"Not that I can remember. Everything around here was always peaceful."

Lan kept staring at the screen of the PET, looking directly into Megaman's emerald green eyes. The Navi shifted slightly, not sure why he was getting such a look from Lan. It was as if the boy was trying to see threw him, like there was something inside the Navi that Lan needed to see. All Megaman could do was stare back, noting what facial expressions Lan would display on his face from time to time.

However, the staring would not last long. Lan pocketed the PET and continued to look at the picture. 'A peaceful life...' He couldn't finish his statement. He wanted to say that it was something that he remembered, but...he couldn't. He couldn't remember anything, and whether he cared to admit it or not, it bugged him to no end.

Megaman look out of the PET's monitor, seeing nothing but darkness now that the device was inside Lan's pocket. It was a sight that he was use to. Before the Link PET was created, every time that Lan wasn't using the device, it was slipped into either his pocket or a holster designed for the PET, both of which covered up the video input camera. However, with the Link PET, the hologram projector made it easy to always see what your NetOp was doing.

Needless to say, Megaman was not really happy that he was just stuffed into the pocket of Lan's shorts. He wasn't angry, but he wasn't happy. He was feeling, more or less, disappointed. After everything that had happened over the past 2 weeks, seeing Lan actually functional and moving about was something that he was looking forward to. Needless to say, being stuffed in the pocket of the boy's shorts wasn't sitting well with him.

"Hey, Megaman..." Lan reached back into his pocket and pulled the PET out once again. "I'm just wondering...where is my bedroom?" He looked at the screen of the device to find that Megaman was not on it.

"Megaman? Megaman? Are you there?"  
"I'm right here, Lan."  
"Where? I don't see you."

Lan looked around and peered at different parts of the PET. It wasn't until he started looking at his surroundings did he finally discover where Megaman had went. He looked to his right and scanned the Living Room. He then turned himself even further and looked behind him, hoping that the sound was coming from the front door. However, his search was to no avail. Finally, he looked to his left and at his shoulder...only to discover a transparent Megaman standing on his shoulder.

"Megaman! How did you get there?"  
"Wait, Lan! Don't overreact. I can explain!"

Dr. Hikari heard their elevated voices and turned around to face the Living Room. His first thought was that Megaman had accidentally used the M-Program and got back into the human world. That would have caused such a setback in Lan's recovery at this point in time. Luckily, Dr. Hikari looked and saw that Megaman was only being projected as a hologram via the Holographic Projector on the PET.

"You can explain how you got out of the PET?"  
"That's the thing. I'm not. I am just projecting myself using the PET's Holographic Projector."  
"Holographic Projector?"

"It's a device on the PET that allows NetNavi to appear as translucent holograms," Dr. Hikari interjected. Both Lan and Megaman looked at the scientist who had already approached them from the kitchen.

"You mean...Megaman can get outside the PET?"  
"Ha-ha. Not exactly. His program is still inside the PET, but the Holographic Projector allows him to interact with others."  
"What is a hologram, anyway?"  
"A hologram is a projected image, either 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional, that carries traits similar to real objects. For example: A holographic NetNavi can speak, and the sound will come from the hologram, not the PET."  
"But, if it is just an image, how does it make sound?"  
"It's a bit difficult to explain. But, I'll try my best. When the NetNavi talks, a signal is sent through the projected image, which then produces sound waves equivalent to what the NetNavi is saying."

Lan gave off a perplexed look. Even before he came down with Amnesia, something like this was completely new to him. He never looked at the technological aspect of how a PET worked. All he was how to turn it on, operate it, and what it's basic features where and how to use them. He never took the time to understand HOW they work. He just wanted to know IF they worked.

Dr. Hikari saw the look Lan was giving, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't think too much about it, Lan. It can be difficult to explain, and even more difficult to understand." Lan simply nodded his head and looked at Megaman's hologram. The Navi looked back at him and smiled. Megaman hoped that Lan understood enough so that nothing like this happened in the future. Even if he couldn't see Lan face to face in the human world, he at least wanted to see Lan as a hologram.

"Dinner's ready. Come and eat, you two."

Dr. Hikari and Lan heard the call from Mrs. Hikari and made their way to the dinner table. The older woman had prepared a meal with all of Lan's favorites...at least, food that he had liked beforehand. When she was making the food that morning, she wasn't sure what to expect. It wasn't until they got to the hospital that her and her husband were told that Lan had Amnesia. Now, with everything that she had prepared, Mrs. Hikari wasn't sure Lan would even like all of his old favorites.

Nonetheless, she took a seat at the table across from Dr. Hikari, with Lan sitting at a middle section. Megaman looked on from his holographic body, and wished so badly to be at the same table. Since he had experienced food in the human world, most of Lan's favorite foods were now Megaman's favorites, as well. The only thing the Navi liked more than Lan was the homemade salad Mrs. Hikari normally put together for whatever meal they were having on any given day.

Lan's eyes scanned the variety of food that had been placed on the table. The aroma of the foods filled his nostrils with heavenly smells. It didn't take long for the boy to stick his nose out even more, almost completely over the food, just to get a better sniff. It seemed to have been the greatest thing he had ever smelled, as he soon cracked a small smile while inhaling deeply.

"Feel free to eat something, Lan. I cooked as many of your favorites as possible."  
"Thanks, mom. It smells really good."

Megaman's attention was perked when he heard Lan address his mother as "mom." To the Navi, that meant that Lan was either feeling comfortable with his surroundings, or he was starting to remember his family already. 'That's definitely a good sign.' Megaman smiled to himself only briefly before seeing Lan start to fill his plate with the meal on the table.

"It looks so good. I can't wait to try it all!"  
"I'm glad your excited about it."

Lan took another sniff of the food he had put on his place. "Mmmmm.." Mrs. Hikari smiled at her son, hoping that everything was cooked to the way he liked it, which she also hoped would help him remember why these were his favorite foods.

"Hmmm...what to eat first..."  
"Well, you can have some Curry Rice, some of the salad, the chicken, or some of the baked salmon."  
"I guess I'll start with the curry. It looks really good."

The Navi heard Lan's words, and smiled even more, but was unable to keep his thoughts to himself. "And, curry happens to be your absolute favorite. You would probably eat it day and night if you were given the chance." Megaman didn't mean to say those words aloud, but it had already happened, and it couldn't be removed. His statement got Lan's attention, who only smiled at the Navi and continued to look down at his food.

"Well, here goes..." Lan took his spoon, scooped up a medium-size portion of the Curry Rice, and stuffed the delicacy into his mouth. Both Dr. and Mrs. Hikari, as well as Megaman, looked on to see Lan's reaction to the meal which he had just eaten. The boy removed the spoon from his mouth, devoid of the edible sustenance. As the three onlookers observed, Lan didn't seem to have any objections to the Curry Rice. 'I guess his love for Curry is something that cannot be forgotten. Hehe.' Megaman laughed to himself. He wasn't able to keep that thought out of his mind.

Until...

It seemed that the unthinkable happened. As Lan's parents started to turn away and concentrate on eating their dinner, it happened. Lan started to make a face, as thought he had just eaten something that wasn't quite as good as he had though. Megaman was the only one to have noticed this, and looked on with an intense look on his face. Megaman knew that look on Lan's face. It was the same look that he made when he first tasted Curry in the human world.

The sensation in the boy's mouth got more intense, far more intense than he thought it was. At first, he thought that the spiciness was something that would go away, or would be mild, at least. However, that turned out to not be the case here. Without further hesitation, Lan grabbed the glass of water in front of him and started to down the clear liquid.

The older couple saw what had happened. They couldn't believe it. Megaman looked on with awe, struck with the exact same feelings that Dr. and Mrs. Hikari were both feeling. It was very apparent to them as to what just happened. It was something that they never thought would happened, not in a million years.

Lan did not like curry.

"Lan, honey. Is everything ok?"  
"Woah...that was way too spicy."  
"That's the way that Curry is made. You normally like it with a little extra spice."  
"I actually like that? It's so spicy."

Megaman wasn't sure to react or respond to Lan's comment. He was still struck with feelings of shock and awe. He had never seen Lan turn down curry, not in the 2 years he had known the boy. This was the first time Megaman had ever seen Lan react the way he just did when he ate curry.

The Navi finally shook off what feelings of awe still lingered around him and spoke. "Yeah. Curry is your favorite food on the entire planet. You went crazy when we visited Namaste last year."

"Namaste? What's that?" Megaman didn't realize until it was too late. He mentioned place Lan didn't remember, and now it was up to him or someone else to inform the boy as to what Namaste was and what it was famous for. Luckily for the Navi, Dr. Hikari stepped in and took over this part of the discussion.

"Namaste is a country that is located southwest of Japan, the country we live in."  
"I see. Why would I go crazy in a place like that?"  
"Well, Lan. Namaste is famous for being the country where Curry was created. Needless to say, with your extreme liking of the food, Namaste was probably your 'heaven on earth,' so to speak."  
"I can tell you right now. It may take some time before I get use to curry again."

Megaman quietly snickered to himself, as he knew how getting use to curry normally went. "Don't worry, Lan. I'm sure you'll rediscover why it is your favorite." The Navi was able to silence his snickering long enough to have gotten that comment out and into the open. Lan looked at the translucent hologram of Megaman. However, it didn't seem like he was just looking at the Navi. Once again, to Megaman, it felt like Lan was trying to stare into him, into his very soul.

But, that feeling soon past as Lan finally cracked a smile.

"I guess you're right. Well, the only way to get use to it is to have some more."  
"That's right, Lan. Keep at it, and something good will come of it."  
"Thanks, Megaman."

With a smile, Megaman continued to watch everyone eat their dinner.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Good evening, everyone. This is your news reporter, Ribitta, giving you all the news that you need to know!"

Everyone had finished dinner and went into the living room to watch the evening news. It was yet another interesting sight for Megaman to see; Lan watching the news of his own accord. Normally, he would have gone up to his room to talk with the Navi, maybe do a little NetBattling, or even read some of his favorite comic books. All the while, Megaman would nag at the boy to do his homework, which Lan would creatively ignore the entire time or brush it off. It was like second nature to him.

"Today's top story: Earlier rumors that circulated around the Net may have proven to be true. A tip from an anonymous source may have revealed a new project that is currently in development by the Ministry of Science here in DenTech City."

Dr. Hikari and Megaman's hologram immediately focused all of their attention to the news report that Ribitta was in the middle of. They looked at each other and came to the same conclusion, silently; someone must have told the news station about the M-program. There wasn't anything major that SciLab was working on other than the program.

They continued to listen as Ribitta went on. "According to the source, the project in question is a new program that is suppose to be able to be placed into a NetNavi, and then allow them to pass between the Cyberworld and the human world!" Ribitta's comment solidified Dr. Hikari and Megaman's suspicions. Of the two, Dr. Hikari seemed to be the most visually upset. If Megaman was upset over this news report, he was doing a good job of hiding it.

"How in the world could they have known about it?"  
"Maybe someone from the tour said something to someone."  
"That can't be it. Honestly, what news station would take a 12 year-old's word on something like this?"  
"Hmmm...I guess you have a point."  
"SciLab? Hey, dad. Isn't that where you work?"

The discussion between Megaman and Dr. Hikari was cut short when Lan interrupted them with his question. "I do, Lan. SciLab is where I work." The tone of Dr. Hikari's voice was a little coarse, even though he tried his best not to make it sound like it did. Nonetheless, everyone in the room, including Megaman, continued to watch Ribitta's news report.

"The DNN was also sent this voice recording of one of the scientists of SciLab. From what we have gathered and what our voice analysts have concluded, we believe the voice on this recording to be the voice of a Mr. Famous, the NetNavi recovery specialist on staff at SciLab."

"_Unlike other programs that create solid holograms, the M-Program doesn't just make the NetNavi into a solid hologram. Rather, it is like the NetNavis is being removed from Cyberspace. Basically, it is re-writing its data to match that of an actual human being. Through the M-Program, a NetNavi is brought out of the Cyberworld and into the Human world…in living flesh and blood."_

Megaman and Dr. Hikari simply stared at the TV in awe. They were in total disbelief with what they just heard. There was no way that Famous would have recorded himself and then submitted that recording to the news under an anonymous source. Additionally, even if it was a student from the 6th grade, how were they able to get such a great quality recording if their PET was in their pocket? Surely, the sound would have been muffled since it had to travel through their clothing to get to the PET mic.

Dr. Hikari just continued to stare in disbelief. "How...how could anyone have gotten that? We didn't mind when the rumor was spreading. That is how word gets out. But...hard evidence to support rumors isn't what we wanted released this early." There was an obvious hint of frustration in his voice as he spoke. Megaman and Lan were able to pick up on it. To Lan, apparently, whatever this "M-Program" was, he had already figured out that it was something his father and everyone else that worked at SciLab were trying to keep a secret. For what reason, he did not know.

Mrs. Hikari heard her husband's comment and immediately turned the TV off. It was even obvious to her that he was considerably upset over what just happened. "I guess that's enough TV for one night." She looked over at her husband, who finally seemed to be calming down after what he just saw, and listened to, on the TV.

Mrs. Hikari finally turned to Lan. "Oh. It looks like it's your bedtime, Lan. You should go and get ready."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Lan was upstairs in his bedroom, still a little damp from the shower he had just taken not too long ago. He was still in awe over the whole day. To find out that he had so many friends that cared about him, loving parents, and his own NetNavi, Lan was, for lack of a better phrase, blown away.

The boy took a seat at what he assumed was his desk. It had a computer on it, as well as a small dock for his PET, which he had figured out only a few minutes earlier, placing the device into the dock, causing a small red light to turn on, with the word "charge" written under it. 1 cord came out of the dock and plugged into the back of his computer. Lan was a little confused as to why the cord plugged into the computer. He did remember that something needs to be plugged into a wall socket or power strip to get power, and he was sure that this charge dock was no exception.

"Hey, Megaman. How come there's only one cord for the charger?"  
"It acts as both a power cord and network cable."  
"Network cable?"  
"A network cable is what allows data to travel from one thing to another. It's plugged into your computer so that when the PET is on the charger, I can move from the PET to your computer."  
"Does the charger get power from my computer?"  
"Your dad set it up so that the charger gets its power from your computer's power supply."  
"Oh. I see."

Upon further investigation, Lan discovered that there was a cord that came out of his computer and plugged into the wall. He bent over his desk to get a better look at it. Megaman wasn't sure what the boy was doing and decided to use the holographic projector to get a better look.

The Navi appeared next to Lan's shoulder, which was just about touching the back edge of the wooden desk. "Hey, Lan. What are you looking at?" The boy look over his shoulder to be greeted by the sight of the translucent Navi.

"What is this cord for?"  
"That's another network cable. It's plugged into the wall so that your computer can surf the Net. It also let's me leave my PET and go to NetCity, a place for NetNavis to hang out and have fun."  
"Does it do anything else?"

Whether Megaman wanted to admit it or not, he was starting to get a little annoyed by all the questions Lan was asking. He felt like he was teaching a 6-year old what the most basic functions of today's technology was. However, Megaman kept reminding himself that Lan wasn't himself and that he had to do everything within his power to help Lan become himself again.

"Yeah. Around the house, your dad put in small monitors. When either your mom or dad need to talk to me, they press a button, and I go to that monitor's computer system."

"Oh. So, it's like an intercom system, but with a NetNavi."  
"Exactly. It comes in handy sometimes."  
"Like when?"  
"Well...sometimes, you never really seem to finish your homework. When they think that you are slacking off, they call me to see what is up. Most of the time, you don't even know I am gone."  
"Wait...you're also my babysitter?"  
"Ha-ha. I don't think of it like that. I think of it as more of being a concerned friend."

Before Lan could respond, Megaman heard a beeping sound. The Navi recognized that sound as the same one that is made when Dr. or Mrs. Hikari call him. "I'll be right back, Lan. Someone is calling me downstairs." With a quick nod, Megaman left his PET and traveled to the monitor which was located in the kitchen downstairs.

When he appear on it, he was that both of Lan's parents were on the other end of the camera. Dr. Hikari was the first one to speak out of the two. "There you are, Megaman. You're just the person we needed to talk to." Megaman noted that Dr. Hikari's voice was just about his "normal" voice. It wasn't too cheery. It wasn't angry. It wasn't frustrated. Just like in _Goldilocks and the Three Bears,_ the older man's voice was "just right."

"Is something wrong?"  
"No, not at all. We just need to talk to you about the coming days and what it will mean to Lan."  
"I see. What exactly did you have in mind?"  
"Well, according to his physician, we need to expose him to familiar surroundings slowly, but gradually. Thankfully, tomorrow is Saturday. We can use it to get Lan together with his friends, so he can become familiar with them once again."  
"That sounds a great idea. We can probably get him to go to Yai's house and maybe NetBattle. I'm sure would be love to get back into that."

Dr. Hikari snickered to himself. "It does seem like NetBattling is in Lan's blood. There's no debating that point." Megaman looked at the other man and gave a gentle smile. Considering that he had not had any substantial NetBattles in almost 2 weeks, Megaman was itching for a little action, even if it was just a small sparring session with Dex and Gutsman.

"Going over to Yai's does sound like a good idea to me. I'm sure it won't be long before Lan remembers her." Mrs. Hikari finally said her first statement since Megaman appeared on the monitor. True, Yai's personally wasn't one to be forgotten for too long. Not to mention that she was one of the wealthiest children in DenTech City, next to Chaud, that is.

"We can have Lan be with his friend's tomorrow, but he probably shouldn't stay too long."  
"You're probably right, Dr. Hikari. After all, we also need to find out how to get Lan back with the NetPolice."  
"That's a good point, Megaman. We can probably do that Sunday, or even Monday. Lan will be back in school by then. Hopefully, being in school will help him, as well."  
"Sounds like a plan."

Dr. Hikari looked Megaman straight in his emerald green eyes. The Navi stared back at the older man's chocolate-colored orbs. "Oh, one more thing, Megaman. I know we talked about it at the hospital, but I believe it needs to be addressed again." The Navi heard those words from the man in front of him. It was the moment Megaman had not wanted to be mentioned, but it would inevitably would be, and that was a much more in-depth discussion about Megaman and his usage of the M-Program.

Megaman slowly nodded his head and waited for Dr. Hikari's lecture to begin.

"I know you must want to see Lan a lot right now, being his best friend. However, we still don't want to give him the impression that all NetNavis can travel between the Cyber and human world. We should probably wait for about another week before we start to mention that you, specifically, have such a program that will allow you to move between the worlds."

With a slow nod, Megaman indicated that he understood what the scientist was going with his lecture. "I know this may be a lot of ask of you, but it would probably be best to avoid mentioning it to Lan or using the program until we feel the time is right."

That last comment felt like a stab in the heart for Megaman. He wanted to be with Lan, face-to-face, hand-in-hand, since the boy woke up from his semi-coma. Now, it was evident and inevitable that he would have to wait even longer before he could give Lan something as simple as a handshake, let alone a hug or a kiss.

"I understand. We can't bombard Lan with too much, or else something bad will happen."  
"Thank you for understanding, Megaman. I'm sure Lan will be back to his normal self in no time. We just have to do our part."  
"We will, Dr. Hikari. Lan will get better. I'm sure of it."

The two parents and Megaman exchanged brief smiles before the Navi returned to his PET upstairs. Immediately wanting to see what Lan was up to, Megaman used the holographic projector on the PET to get a look around Lan's room.

Once his translucent image appeared on top of the PET's monitor, he discovered that Lan had already changed into his pajamas and was lying in his bed. Interested to see if Lan was actually asleep, Megaman's image moved off of the PET and went over to the bed. Luckily for him, the range of the projector was 50 feet. So, even while the device was on Lan's desk, Megaman was able to move around the boy's room when needed.

The sight that Megaman witnessed was a shock to him. Lan was actually laying in bed, asleep. The Navi snickered as quietly as he could to himself, seeing the irony in the situation. He knew that Lan would almost always complain about having to go to bed at a certain time, even the weekends were no exception. However, since his lost his memory...

Megaman's thoughts stop in their tracks. The mere thought of Lan having Amnesia saddened the Navi to no end. In actuality, it not only made him depressed, but it also gave him fear.

He feared that Lan would never truly remember everyone who he met. He feared that Lan would never truly remember his old habits that Megaman had grown fond of, even the bad ones. He feared Lan would never truly remember the friendship that he shared with Dex, Yai, Tory, and Maylu. He feared that Lan would never truly remember the love they both shared with each other, and the wonderful and perilous adventures they both endured.

Seeing no reason to try and wake Lan up, Megaman decided that it was also time for him to retire for the night and go into sleep-mode. The Navi deactivated the holographic projector and appeared back in the PET's Cyberworld. Megaman let out a sigh, having gone through what he would classify as an exhausting and emotional day.

Before going into sleep-mode, a tear slowly rolled down Megaman's left cheek, as he closed his eyes.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

**_*Cries* Lan finally got Amnesia, and he doesn't remember anything that is truly important to him! The good part is that...well...there isn't a good part. :( Nothing good comes from getting Amnesia! How are Megaman and all of Lan's friends going to deal with this new challenge? You'll find out soon enough!_**

_**Well, as I said in a review-reply I put in for this story, I have another major announcement to make! So, here it comes!**_

_***Drum roll***_

_**I would like to announce that I am currently working on a storyboard for a SEQUEL to Megaman NT Warrior: Memories! That's right, folks! After I complete this story, I will begin writing another story following the same timeline and chain of events!**_

_**ALSO! As a special treat: at the end of Chapter 14 (after author comments and whatnot) I will have a special SNEAK PEAK of the next story for you to read! It will be about 5-6 paragraphs long (or, however long I will have it), so it won't be anything too major (it's only a sneak peak. Lol).**_

_**As such, with the addition of another story which falls onto the same timeline as this one, I am also officially announcing the creation of the "Network Evolution" story series! This series will including Megaman NT Warrior: Memories, the upcoming sequel, and any other stories I create that fall into the same timeline.**_

_**Finally, the poll is now officially CLOSED! However, a user brought to my attention that others may have wanted another option added to the poll (An option where Megaman has conflicting feelings, not just one or the other). I had realized that such an option was missing a while ago, but there were already 8 votes in, and I didn't want to change anything. However, because this was brought to my attention, the mystery third option will be the "winner" of the poll, but, ultimately, Megaman will "get it on" with Lan.**_

_**A new poll should be up soon, and, as always, it will be in my profile. Please make sure you drop a review when you can. All comments are looked over and taken into consideration!**_


	14. Chapter 14: The Week Ahead

**_Hey everyone!_**

**_Chapter 14 is here! That's right! 14 chapters into the story, and it is still going strong!_**

**_Lan has Amnesia, and it is up to his family and friends to help him in his recovery. With any hope, it won't take too long. This chapter and the next 2 will be divided into different "days" as it will take place over a week. Additionally, these chapters will also be "lyrical chapters," where I will be featuring the song "Winner at a Losing Game" by Rascal Flatts._**

**_Let's get this chapter started!_**

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Chapter 14 – The Week Ahead

**-Saturday-**

Megaman slowly opened his eyes, trying to stir himself into a more conscious state. Even though he did go to bed earlier than he normally word on a Friday night, seeing as in the past, Lan would stay up past his own bedtime, the Navi still felt tired for some reason. The only explanation that he could come up with was, in his mind, he didn't get as much sleep as he had thought.

The layer of thin, fleshy shutters, lifted more to reveal the emerald green orbs beneath. He looked around his surroundings, only to be slightly disappointed that he was still inside his PET. Megaman remembered that the night before he snapped at Lan, he had left the device to sleep in Lan's bed, only to wake up to the boy's attempts to get him out of bed. The Navi remembered that he had never slept so good in his life as when he was sleeping in Lan's bed. It was just something that he couldn't explain.

'I guess I better see if Lan is up.' Megaman stood on his feet inside the PET's Cyberworld, gaining his balance before straightening his back completely. He was thankful that he wasn't like Gutsman and had a hunched back. That would have looked bad on him. But, that is the way that Gutsman was programmed. And, apparently, it worked for Dex, as well.

"Hey, Lan. It's time to wake up. You don't want to be late for breakfast!"  
No answer.  
"Come on, Lan. Wake up. I think mom is making waffles."  
Still no answer.  
"Lan? Are you still asleep?"

Getting no answer again, Megaman laughed a little to himself. 'I guess his laziness transcends Amnesia.' Knowing now that yelling in Lan's ears was probably the only thing that was going to wake the boy up, Megaman started up the PET's holo-projector. In only a second, he appeared on top of the PET's viewscreen. Megaman turned towards Lan's bed to find something a little shocking, but quite pleasing; Lan was not in bed.

'Where is he? Did he actually get up on his own for once?' The Navi sat down to ponder the situation. Did Lan really wake up without his assistance? Did one of the boy's parents come to wake him up? Is it even humanly possible for Lan to wake up on his own? These were all questions that Megaman had no answers for.

That was, until...

Megaman heard the doorknob start to turn. He was brought out of his thoughts and turned towards the source of the new sound. He expected to see either Lan's mother or father to walk in and see if Lan was awake yet. It was, after all, 10:21 in the morning. However, it was neither one of Lan's parents that came into the room. It was, surprisingly, Lan himself, who walked in.

Lan looked around the room briefly until he spotted Megaman's hologram by the bed. "Morning, Megaman. Did you sleep well?" The Navi simply looked on with minuscule amazement. He knew that Lan was able to get up on his own...he was just too lazy most of the time to get up on his own. 'I guess this isn't one of those times.'

"Megaman? Are you ok?"  
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine, Lan. Just thinking about a few things."  
"Like what?"  
"Like...where we should go today."  
"We're going somewhere?"  
"Yeah. I talked with your mom and dad last night before you went to bed. They suggested that you should meet up with Maylu, Dex, and Tory at Yai's mansion."  
"I don't know...I barely know them. Are you sure I should?"  
"Positive. They are your closest friends. Getting to know then again will be fun."  
"...Promise?"  
"I promise. Let's get ready."

With a quick nod, Lan began to change out of his pajamas, which he was still wearing when he walked into the room. Not to raise any suspicion, Megaman deactivated the holographic projector on the PET, causing his translucent hologram to disappear from the room. When Lan and him were a "couple," they didn't mind undressing in front of each other. However, with Lan in the current state that he is, Megaman didn't want to start giving off the wrong impression, thereby jeopardizing what progress had already been achieved in Lan's recovery, however small it might be.

Megaman went back into the PET's Cyberworld, which was the color green, for the most part.. Flicking his wrist in front of him, Megaman opened up a Video communication to Roll, Gutsman, Iceman, and Glide's PETs. 'I should let the others know. I'm sure they'll make time,' Megaman thought as he started to connect to the other devices via the net.

"Hi, Megaman. How's Lan doing?" Roll was the first to respond.  
"Hello, Megaman. How is Lan's recovery?" Glide picked up only a second later.  
"Hey, Megaman! How are things with Lan?" Iceman responded immediately after Glide.  
"Megaman! Is Lan ok, guts, guts?" Gutsman was the last to pick up.

"Hey, everyone. Lan's doing ok. He is still trying to figure things out right now. However, it's still going slowly. It might take a little while." Megaman tried his best to hide what worry he had, masking his true feelings under a false face of smiles and glimmering eyes. To Megaman, it seemed to be working.

However, his friends saw through the mask. Fortunately, they didn't want to comment on it. "Anyway. Since it would be best for Lan to get exposure to familiar surroundings, I thought it would be a good idea if we all met at Yai's house for some NetBattling, if that's ok with Yai, that is."

Megaman's suggestion seemed to be what everyone was thinking, as nothing but positive comments came from the other Navis on Megaman's screen.

"That sounds like a great idea, Megaman. Maylu and I will be there."  
"Count on Gutsman and Dex to be there, guts guts."  
"Miss Yai would be honored to have her friends as company today."  
"Sounds like a cool way to help Lan out."

Megaman could only smile and nod his head. "Thanks, guys. I'm sure Lan will enjoy everything." The other Navis said their goodbyes as they closed their video links to Megaman's PET. The Navi waved his hand over the screen in front of him, closing it down.

"Hey, Megaman. I'm ready to go when you are." Lan's voice came into Megaman's ears. The Navi instinctively activated the holographic projector and appeared on top of the PET's viewscreen. Megaman looked around and saw that Lan was fully dressed, although he wasn't wearing his normal attire. Instead of the white undershirt, orange vest, blue bandanna with his Navi mark, and black shorts, Lan was wearing blue jeans, an orange t-shirt, no bandanna, but still the same black shoes.

Megaman was a little perplex at what Lan was wearing and decided to address it. "Hey, Lan. You're not going to wear what you wore yesterday?" The boy looked at the talking hologram, not sure on how to answer the Navi's question. "Well...I really don't like how it looks. I guess I don't think it's...well...me."

The Navi laughed a little at Lan's comments.

"Well, it is what you normally wear, if that is any good of an argument for you."  
"I'll wear it tomorrow. But..."  
"But what? Is there something wrong, Lan?"  
"Do I have to wear that bandanna? It's really tight around my head."  
"Of course you do. It has my Navi mark on it. It shows everyone that you are my NetOp."  
"...It's really uncomfortable."  
"I'll help you the next time you put it on so that it isn't so tight."

"..." Lan didn't talk after that. Instead, he simply nodded his head to show that he would let Megaman "help" him next time. However, the boy wasn't sure how the Navi would actually be able to "help" him put it on when he can't even leave the PET. To Lan, it was a rather perplexing statement from the Navi. But, nonetheless, he grabbed the device, strapped the arm holster on, and continued downstairs.

"Oh, Lan. Are you going somewhere today?"  
"Yeah, mom. Megaman said that I should go and see...umm...what were their names?"  
"Do you mean Maylu, Dex, Tory, and Yai?"  
"Yeah, them. So, I am going to Yai's mansion."  
"Well, have fun over there. I know you normally have a good time with your friends. Just make sure you don't get lost on the way there."

Lan blushed a little out of embarrassment, as he couldn't even remember how to get there. But, luckily for him, Megaman was ready to lend his assistance, activating the PET's projector once again, appearing on Lan's shoulder. "Don't worry, mom. I'll make sure Lan gets there without a problem."

"Thank you, Megaman. Have a good time, you two!"

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"WOW! This place is HUGE!"

Lan was in utter amazement after looking at the size of Yai's mansion. It didn't even occur to him that it was a "mansion" for a reason. However, he never thought that the building was going to be as large as it was. By his estimations, Yai's mansion was most likely the size of 15 football fields, all combined onto a single piece of property. And, that was just the building. He couldn't even begin to estimate, or even imagine for that matter, how large the actual property was.

"Yeah, it is really big. Yai is the daughter of the president of AyanoTech, the multi-billion dollar game company."  
"I actually have a friend like her? How did that happen?"  
"Well, it happened rather quickly. But, to sum it up, you helped her get to a bathroom before she had an accident."  
"That's it? That's all I did?"  
"Well, aside from that, you have also saved her NetNavi, Glide, quite a few times."

The boy looked around the area, looking for the way in. Megaman wasn't sure what Lan was looking for, but could take a guess as to what. "Are you looking for the front gate?"

"Yeah. It's so huge, I'm not sure I can find it."  
"I can help you with that. Just keep going down the sidewalk. You'll get to the front gate in less than a minute."  
"Thanks, Megaman. I'll do that."

Heeding the advice from his NetNavi, Lan started to walk down the sidewalk, hoping that, at some point, he would run across something that resembled a gate to him. He wasn't even sure if such a mansion would have just a "front gate." But, sure enough, not too long after he started walking, he came across the front gate. It seemed like the one he was at was for pedestrians, as he looked further down and saw a larger gate, probably used for vehicles that entered.

Lan stood in front of the gate, still in awe at how large his "friend's" mansion was. Even now, he was still unsure if he should walk inside or not. For all he knew, his friends might not want to talk to him.

"Are you ok, Lan?"  
"Ummm...how do I get inside?"  
"Oh, that's easy. Ring the bell next to the gate, and one of the staff will answer. Just state your name and that you came to see Yai."  
"You sure they will let me in?"  
"Positive."

Without another word, Lan rang the bell.

"Welcome to the Ayano Mansion. Can I help you?"  
"Yeah. I'm Lan Hikari. I came to see Yai."  
"Ah. Mr. Lan. We have been expecting you."  
"You have?"  
"Of course we have. You will find Miss Yai in her tree house in the back acre. Would you like an escort?"  
"Sure. That would be great."  
"An excellent choice. Someone will be out shortly."

The elderly sounding voice faded from the intercom on the bell. The gates started to open as Lan saw what appeared to be a maid come out of the house on a motorized scooter, heading for the front gate. He walked slowly through the now open gate, slowly enough that he was completely past the gate as the maid came to a screeching halt in front of him. Such a stop scared the boy a little.

"Hop on. I'll take you to Miss Yai's tree house."

Still a little shaken up by the near impact, Lan obediently climbed onto the back of the scooter. Not wasting a second, the maid quickly hit the gas on the scooter, causing it to move forward at a rapid pace. It actually started to move so fast that it almost tossed Lan off. That in itself caused Lan to blurt out the first thing that came to his mind, at the top of his lungs, no less. "Do we have to go so fast?"

"We were instructed by Miss Yai to get you to her tree house in a prompt manner. This is such a manner." The maid kept on the gas as the scooter moved around the mansion in no time at all, rounding the final corner and heading past the back of the mansion. Lan was left holding on for dear life. He never thought that a motorized scooter would go _this_ fast, let alone be used to transport guests to a simple tree house.

However, the word "simple" was exactly a word to describe Yai's tree house.

After moving through what Lan could only think was 500 yards, he and the maid arrived at the tree house. "This is a tree house? It's as big as my house!" The site was more than Lan could ever believe. To think that a tree house was almost as large, if not, larger, than his own house on the ground, was a little hard for the boy to swallow. Still, comparing the mansion to the tree house, Lan was able to get a grip on the situation.

"You are expected inside. I'll take my leave now," the maid said, practically tossing Lan off of the scooter and onto the grass. Lan, who was still trying to recover from the shear speed of the scooter, landed on the ground butt-first. "Oww..."

Turning back into the direction that he came from, the boy discovered that the maid had already left, and was already near the mansion, to boot. Recovering from his sudden fall, Lan's eyes once again rested on the tree house...better yet...tree mansion, situated in front of him. Judging from the look of it, Lan could only guess that it had more than 1 floor inside. But, that was only his best guess. He honestly didn't know how large the tree mansion was on the inside, and could only imagine at this point.

"Are you going to go inside, Lan? The maid said your friends are waiting for you."  
"I'm getting there, Megaman. It's just...a lot to take in."  
"I understand. Take your time. There's no need to rush."  
"You're the one who is rushing me."  
"Only because your friends are really nice. I'm sure you will enjoy it."

"..." Finally getting the courage he needed, Lan climbed a small stairway to what he could safely assume was the front porch. 'It definitely is a big place. I wonder what is inside...' Lan's mind wandered off as he unconsciously went to the front door and knocked on it. The door was solid wood, not all that uncommon. However, for someone as rich as Yai was, Lan thought that there had to have been more to it than that.

A sound was heard by the boy, pulling him out of his thoughts. Looking forward once again, he noticed that the door was opening in front of him. "I hope it isn't another maid. That last one was scary." Lan's eyes were completely fixated on the object opening in front of him.

"You confuse me with one of my maids? How rude!" Yai's voice shrieked out as she opened the door completely, looking at Lan, with a rather unpleasant look on her face. The boy was taken aback by the outburst from the shorter girl, who he also noted as having a larger than normal forehead.

Megaman's hologram quickly appeared on Lan's shoulder, his goal to remind Yai about Lan's condition and that he wasn't quite himself. Thankfully, he didn't need to speak, as Glide spoke before Megaman did. "Miss Yai. Please remember why Lan came here today. I am sure he didn't mean to insult you."

"Glide! I know that! But, it doesn't excuse his rude comment!"  
"Perhaps. However, given his current state, I just want to advise you that you try and remain calm if you think he is 'insulting' you."

Yai let out a light sigh before responding. "Alright, Glide. I'll forgive him this time." Finally over what seemed to have been one of the biggest insults she had ever gotten in her life, Yai's face turned to something a little more pleasant and welcoming. However, Lan was still a little put-off by her initial greeting.

"Come on in, Lan. We're going to hang out today." Maylu's inviting voice was just enough to get Lan out of his current state and into the wooden building. He walked inside and looked around the room. He spotted the other guests around the room, but it was everything else that caught his attention. "Wow! This is your tree house? It looks more like a command center for the entire city!" Needless to say, Yai had already opened up and prepared all of the equipment for the NetBattling arena in the tree house's computer system. Most of the walls were not wood from what Lan could see. Rather, they all seem to be covered in machines, screens, and other computer-related equipment.

The largest of the guests finally stepped forward. "Alright, Lan. Let's get this started with a NetBattle! What do ya say to that?" Dex was overly excited, knowing full well that, for the first time in a very long time, he might be able to beat Lan in a NetBattle. Dex knew that Lan probably had forgotten how to even battle with a NetNavi, and that gave him a great advantage. Lan, however, seemed to have forgotten more.

With a perplexed look on his face, Lan finally spoke up. "What's a NetBattle?" With just that comment, Dex, Yai, Maylu, and Tory, all fell to the ground. But, they quickly regained their composer, only to hear Lan speak again. "If I need a net for it, I guess I forgot to bring one. Hey, Megaman. Do I have a net to use during a NetBattle?"

The other 4 children almost burst into laughter. Never have they heard Lan say something like that. To them, it was the funniest thing that he had ever said, even though he had said some funny things in the past, either out of stupidity or ignorance on a subject. Luckily for Lan, Megaman was a bit more understanding of the situation.

"No, no, Lan. You don't need a net to have a NetBattle."  
"Then what do I need?"  
"All you need is me. See, a NetBattle is when NetOps send their Navis onto the Net to have them battle. Navis have default attacks, as well as attacks that are activated from BattleChips."  
"BattleChips?"  
"A BattleChip is data that can be uploaded to a Navi for his or her use, like weapons, armor, or other abilities."  
"Wait...you didn't tell me to bring any BattleChips with me when we left!"  
"Don't worry, Lan. You have BattleChip data stored on your PET that you can use. It should be enough. After all, this is Dex and Gutsman we are battling. It shouldn't be too hard."

Naturally, and just like clockwork, Dex spoke up. "What do you mean 'It shouldn't be too hard?' Gutsman and I will win the battle, ya know!" Normally, everyone else would have dismissed Dex's comment, as Dex never won a single battle against Lan after he got Megaman. However, no one objected to Dex this time around. They all knew that Lan most likely forgot how to NetBattle and operate a NetNavi. Needless to say, they were all interested to see if Megaman could hold his own, or if Lan's Amnesia would cause him to lose to battle.

"You two only stand a chance because Lan probably doesn't know how to NetBattle." Yai made the first remark.  
"She is right. Lan's Amnesia gives you and Gutsman a huge advantage." Tory was next in the observations.  
"And, you can be very over-dramatic, Dex. It's just a NetBattle." Maylu concluded the stream of comments.

"Well, if you all have so much faith in Lan, then let's see what he's got. Jack-in, Gutsman. Power up!" In one swift motion, Dex aimed the infrared iris of his PET at the console in front of him, thereby sending Gutsman's NetNavi data into the tree house's computer. Lan stared forward as a holographic screen of the computer's Cyberworld appeared in front of him, showing a yellow, and rather large, NetNavi standing on the digital field.

The boy looked down at his PET, which he had taken out of it's shoulder holster a few moments ago. Megaman looked at Lan from his hologram, seeing that the boy was examining the device. "It looks like Gutsman is ready, Lan. Jack me in and we can get this battle started."

"Alright...here goes nothing. Jack-in, Megaman. Power up!"

Mimicking almost the same movements as Dex, Lan aimed what he assumed was the same infrared iris of his PET at the same spot as Dex did. Sure enough, a beam of red light shot out of the device and made contact, effectively downloading Megaman into the computer, preparing him for his battle with Gutsman.

In no time at all, Lan looked at the holographic screen to see Megaman appear on the opposite side of the battlefield, waiting for the single to begin the fight. However, the Navi couldn't help but notice that Lan actually knew what to say at that moment. He wasn't sure if the boy caught on due to Dex's example, or if he remembered what to do. Needless to say, Megaman was hoping for the latter.

"I hope you're ready, Lan, because your Navi is going to be defeated by my Gutsman!"  
"Whatever you say, Dex, but...how does this NetBattling thing work?"

Megaman felt like letting out a sigh of frustration. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, having to get Lan back into the swing of things, as well as helping him to remember and understand everything that he did, was, to some extent, frustrating to the Navi. Everyone else in the room was a little taken back by the boy's comment. But, nevertheless, helping Lan to understand NetBattling was something that had to be done, especially with where Megaman was planning on taking Lan tomorrow...

"Basically, you watch your PET monitor and let me know when something bad is going to happen and upload BattleChips when you feel I need them."  
"Like if Gutsman is going to attack you from behind, right?"  
"Exactly! In a situation like that, you tell me he is behind me, then I either move or you upload a BattleChip that will help."  
"How exactly do I upload a BattleChip?"  
"Drag and drop. Just put your index finger on the icon, drag it onto me, then release. It's that simple."

Lan smiled at his NetNavi, thankful that he had someone who was able to explain this kind of stuff to him. He was able to say something else, but Dex soon interrupted. "Less talk and more battling, unless you really do want to lose. Go, Gutsman!"

Both Megaman and Lan looked at the yellow ape-like Navi as he started to charge, commencing his attack. Megaman was taken slightly by surprise from the attack, but was easily about to avoid the onslaught, quickly jumping into the air above the yellow Navi.

Lan's eyes focused on Megaman. The boy was actually surprised at how easily his Navi was able to avoid the attack from Gutsman. He had to admit, when he first saw Megaman, Lan believed that he was a rather weak NetNavi, or was just used as a personal advisor or a computerized babysitter. To see the Navi move with such speed was a sight to behold for the boy.

Without skipping a beat, Gutsman looked up and started to open fire with Guts Machine Gun attack. Lan looked at the holographic PET screen, which indicated that an attack was coming. "Megaman! Below you!" However, Lan knew that the Navi wouldn't be able to avoid an attack while he was in the air. Thinking quickly on his feet, Lan looked at his BattleChips on the screen, and picked the first chip that looked like a defensive one.

"Here goes nothing...BattleChip, download!" Placing his finger on the icon, Lan moved the chip over Megaman on the screen, activating it. Almost instantly, Megaman was surrounded by a barrier, protecting and repelling the attack from Gutsman below.

Megaman looked around himself, surprised that Lan had actually picked the perfect BattleChip for the situation: Barrier. "Great choice, Lan! Barrier was exactly what I needed!"

There was no doubt that Megaman was happy that Lan picked the right chip in such a pinch. However, his celebration was cut short as he soon landed on the ground, and once more face an attack from Gutsman. This time, however, Gutsman began his second wave of attacks with his GutsHammer.

Seeing the wave heading his way, Megaman quickly jumped to the side, once again avoiding the attack. Lan looked at his Navi once again, still amazed as to how quick and agile the little blue-clad program was.

"Keep it up, Gutsman! As long as he is running, he can't attack back."  
"Gutsman will win, guts guts."  
"Let's get a little closer this time. Mega-Guts Punch, BattleChip in. Download!"

Instantly, Gutsman's right hand grew, almost triple in size. Megaman knew this attack all too well. It was Dex's favorite BattleChip for close-quarters combat. All of Gutsman's other attacks were either his GutsHammer, Guts Machine Gun, or Time Bomb. To put it simply, Megaman knew that the other Navi's battle patterns were quite predictable now, to say the least. However, Megaman knowing the battle pattern of Gutsman was only as good as Lan being able to download the right BattleChip when required. Needless to say, with Lan being in the condition he was in, that made things more difficult for Megaman than normal.

"Gutsman will pound Megaman, guts!"  
"You have to get close to me, first!"  
"That's what Gutsman plans to do, guts guts!"  
"Then, bring it on!"

Lan looked at the holographic screen, not sure what he could do. 'Oh, man! What can I do? I don't know this stuff!' Lan's thoughts couldn't put themselves together, let alone come up with a plan to help his NetNavi.

Looking over to the side of his PET holo-screen, noticing that he still had a wide array of BattleChips to choose from. "This one looks promising..." The boy placed his index finger on the screen and moved the icon over Megaman. The Navi's hand transformed into a long, steel sword. Megaman quickly glanced at his arm, noticing that Lan had downloaded the Samurai Sword BattleChip.

Putting his surprise aside, seeing as Lan, once again, downloaded the perfect BattleChip for the situation, Megaman prepared to defend himself from the oncoming attack from Gutsman's Mega-Guts Punch.

The Samurai Sword and Gutsman's enlarged hand clashed, causing a lot of sparks to scatter and fall to the ground. The onslaught from Gutsman's Mega-Guts Punch was more than Megaman could counter, as he was forced to take a defensive position, using the blunt side of his Samurai Sword to block the incoming blows from the yellow Navi in front of him.

"You're a little stronger than I remember, Gutsman."  
"Gutsman and Master Dex have gotten stronger. Gutsman will win this battle, guts guts."  
"You'll have to defeat me, first!"

Using Gutsman's enlarged hand to his advantage, Megaman positioned his sword in just the right spot on the larger Navi's hand, allowing him to jump into the air and do a barrel-roll over Gutsman, all the while using his sword to slash at the yellow Navi's armor. The flurry of slashes caused several areas on Gutsman's back to be sliced off, mainly the twin cylinders that looked like some high-tech backpack.

Lan, once again, couldn't help but stare at his PET holo-screen, amazed that Megaman was able to get out of such a pinch, with only a metal sword and his own strength. He thought for sure that Gutsman, being a rather large and strong-looking Navi, would have a huge advantage over Megaman, seeing as how the blue Navi was much smaller in size. Lan was glad that his assumptions about Megaman were wrong. In fact, he was just glad that Megaman was his NetNavi, and not stuck with a Navi like Gutsman.

"Good job, Megaman. Keep it up!"  
"I'm doing good. Just keep sending me the right BattleChips, and we got this down."

Without another word, the battle continued. Gutsman switched back to using his GutsHammer to attack Megaman from a distance. However, the smaller Navi still had a few tricks up his sleeve. Gutsman pounded the ground with his hammer, sending a shockwave in Megaman's direction. Aiming and timing his attack just right, Megaman used his still attached Samurai Sword and sliced the shockwave in half; one half going to his left, the other to his right.

Looking at the holographic screen in the tree house, Dex was in awe, seeing as his attack was simply split in two. "What? Gutsman! How could you let that happen? Attack him, Gutsman!"

"Megaman strong. But, Gutsman is stronger, guts," Gutsman shouted, getting ready for another attack on the smaller Navi.

"Megaman seems to be holding his own, even with Lan the way he is," Yai stated.  
"His moves and attacks are as precise as ever," Maylu observed.  
"I guess that's what happens when you are well-trained like he is," Tory concluded.

"Hey! How about a little more support for me and Gutsman, HUH?"

The other three children tried not to laugh out loud. They did, however, snicker under their breaths. "We're sorry, Dex. It's just that Megaman is still on top of things while Gutsman is...sloppy." Maylu was able to breath enough to make her statement, which only resulted in Dex making a face; a face that seemed to say 'I didn't want to hear that, but it's true.' Needless to say, Dex was not very happy to hear that come out of Maylu's mouth, the girl he had a crush on.

However, he continued to concentrate on the battle at hand. Unfortunately, he wasn't really pleased with the sight that he saw when he looked back at the holographic screen.

"GUTSMAN!"

Much to Dex's dismay, he found Gutsman to be at a major disadvantage, as Megaman was unleashing a flurry of full-frontal punches and kicks, leaving Gutsman disorientated and unable to mount a solid defense without Dex's help. "Alright, Megaman! Keep at him!"

"Not so fast, Lan. I still have a few surprises for you!"  
"Really? Then why don't you use them, or are you just bluffing?"  
"Alright! You asked for it!"

Lan smiled and stuck his tongue out slightly at Dex, which only served to anger him a little bit more. The other 3 children looked at Lan, surprised that he was taunting Dex like he normally would. All three of them pretty much thought the same thing, hoping that Lan was already getting better.

The fatter boy began sporting a grin across his face as he reached into his pocket, pulling out three BattleChips, from what it looked like. "This is the end of the road, Lan. Time to watch your Megaman get defeated! TimeBoomer, BattleChips in. Triple download!" Quickly inserting the three chips into his PET, Dex and Gutsman pulled out their ace in the hole. "Program Advance. Giga TimeBoomer!"

Megaman and Lan watched on as the three chips went into action, causing a substantial amount of light to emanate from Gutsman's hands, forming into the Program Advance. "Megaman...What's a Program Advance?" After witnessing what was happening right in front of his eyes, Lan couldn't stop the sense of worry and dread from creeping into his voice as he spoke to his NetNavi.

"It's the ultimate BattleChip attack."  
"Dex can do something like that?"  
"Him and Gutsman have used it before."  
"Can we do something like that?"  
"I'll let you know after I..."

Stopping in the middle of his sentence, Megaman realized that he had wasted valuable time in explaining the situation to Lan when he could have been preparing a defense against the oncoming Program Advance. Needless to say, Megaman was in a bad situation, and had very limited options in getting out of it.

The grin on Dex's face grew wider as the Program Advance finished powering itself up. "This is it, Gutsman. Take down Mr. Blue Boy!" Lan reacted to Dex's comment like anyone would have; with worry, fear, and anxiety. "Gutsman WINS!" Throwing the Giga TimeBoomer at Megaman, the yellow Navi and his NetOp were sure that they were the victors of this NetBattle.

"Lan! I'm gonna need some help!"  
"But...What can I use?"  
"Use something! Anything!"  
'Oh, man! I don't know what to do!' Lan knew that, if he wanted to win, he needed to think of something before it was too late.

Looking quickly at the BattleChip slide on the left-side of his PET holo-screen, Lan picked the first chip he saw, something he seemed to be doing a lot since his accident, placed his index finger over the icon, then dragged and dropped it onto Megaman. "I hope this works. BattleChip, download!"

The Giga TimeBoomer was quickly approaching Megaman's position on the Battlefield, the number on the front slowing decreasing with each moment it drew closer and closer to it's destination. Gutsman and Dex watched on with anticipation. Megaman knew Lan downloaded a BattleChip, but was worried that it was something that would not provide any type of defense against the oncoming attack from the larger Navi. Time was starting to run out...the Giga TimeBoomer getting closer and closer...the worry inside Megaman was growing more and more as each second passed...

_-BOOOOOOOOM-_

The Giga TimeBoomer exploded as it impacted the spot where it was intended to land...right on top of Megaman. Maylu, Yai, and Tory were in shock that the blue-clad Navi didn't make a single attempt to get out of the way of the blast. Dex and Gutsman were ready to celebrate as they believed themselves to be the victors of the NetBattle.

"Well, Lan. I guess this means that Gutsman and I win."  
"...I guess I didn't download the right chip..."  
"...Of course you did, Lan!"

The smaller boy's eyes widened as the smoke cleared from the battlefield, revealing an unscathed Megaman in the center. The blue Navi radiated with a purple-ish aura, which seemed to have completely protected him from the blast of the Program Advance.

Dex nearly shouted at the top of his lungs. "NO WAY! How could you have known to use LifeAura?" The larger of the two boys was in complete disbelief that Lan was able to use just the right BattleChip at just the right time. Either Lan was really lucky in picking the BattleChips, or, as the case may very well be, NetBattling was in his blood, and something that could not easily be forgotten.

"LifeAura?"  
"Lan, it's one of the most powerful defensive BattleChips ever created."  
"Wow. I didn't know I had that. I'll have to remember that."

Even though he held back a snicker, Megaman was still amused by the irony of Lan's comment. But, even still, the Navi knew that there was still a NetBattle to win. "Lan, send me something good to finish this off with." Nodding his his holo-screen, Lan looked at the BattleChip slide, trying to decide what was up that looked like a strong, offensive-type BattleChip. One chip in particular caught his eye, it's icon resembled a NetNavi with a sword and what appeared to be slashes circling him.

'I'll use this one. It looks promising.' Lan grinned as he looked up from his screen to see that Dex was still in a state of shock...or anger. It was rather hard to tell. "I guess it's time to end this. BattleChip, download!" Placing his finger on the icon, Lan dragged and dropped the BattleChip data into Megaman.

Instantaneously, another sword appeared on the blue-colored Navi's hand. The chip's data registered in Megaman's Navi program, and he was quite pleased with the choice Lan made. "StepSword? That's perfect, Lan! It's just what we can use to win!" Sporting the same grin as Lan was, Megaman posed his sword in attack position, getting ready to make his final charge at Gutsman. The larger Navi started to sweat as he frantically tried to think of a way to avoid the winning blow. However, his "all brawn, no brain" programming preventing it.

"Wai...wait! Can't Gutsman and Megaman talk this over, guts, guts!"

The face-cover appeared over Megaman's mouth and nose, showing that he was on his way. In only a flash, his assault on Gutsman was made; the sword on his arm slashing through the yellow Navi's abdominal area, effectively slicing him in half.

"Talk to the sword..."

_-Gutsman, Logging out-_

"...because the 'blue boy's' not listening!"

"NO! Gutsman!" Dex stared and shouted haplessly at his PET, the feeling of defeating washing over him like a tidal wave of water. He thought for sure that him and Gutsman were the ones that would finally win against Lan and Megaman. However, much to his dismay, that did not happen to be the case.

"Alright, Megaman. You did it."  
"WE did it, Lan. You helped, too."  
"Yeah...but you did all the cool moves."  
"But, you gave me the right BattleChips when I needed them. That's what working as a team is all about."  
"You're really strong. I'm glad you're my NetNavi, Megaman."  
"I'm glad you're my NetOp. We have always made a great team."

The two looked at each other and gave the other a smile. Sure enough, since Lan first got Megaman, they have been a nearly unbeatable team, save for a few defeats against Chaud and the occasional Darkloid. But, all in all, they made one of the best NetBattling teams in DenTech City.

The rest of Lan's friends, excluding Dex, were all giving off luminous smiles, as well; smiles that were a result of a combination of Lan's victory over Dex, but also that hope that Lan might already be getting some of his memories back, or that there were just somethings that not even Amnesia could make a person forget. In Lan's case, it seemed to be the ability to NetBattle.

Dex looked at the victors of the NetBattle. "You won this time, Lan. But, next time, you won't be so lucky!" Maylu, Yai, and Tory were waiting for this moment. It was always like Dex to throw in some kind of taunt when he would lose to Lan. To put it simply, it was like clockwork. The three of them snickered quietly to themselves, trying not to make Dex get any more angry than he probably always was. Dex hated losing in NetBattles, especially to Lan, who he use to beat all the time before he got Megaman.

"Calm down, Dex. It's only a NetBattle." Tory was the first to make a statement this time.  
"Yeah. You don't need to get all worked up over it." Maylu was the next to voice her statement.  
"Besides, I'm sure you can find some weak NetBattlers to challenge." Yai finished off the trio of comments, not letting up on the insults.

"..." Dex didn't seem to be in the mood to respond. He was still upset that he lost to an Amnesia-stricken Lan Hikari in a NetBattle.

"Oh, don't be so mopey, Dex. We have all day. You can practice with Glide, Roll, and Iceman. Then, have a rematch with Lan later on," Yai remarked, giving off a slight smirk as she spoke. True, it was early in the day, and, chances were that all 5 of them would be at Yai's house for a good portion of the day. Dex thought about it for a moment, and let a grin slip out and form on his mouth. "Alright. Let's do that, Gutsman. We'll practice a little, then beat Megaman."

Dex looked down at his PET screen to see Gutsman in the middle of it, eyes closed and smiling. "Good idea. Gutsman will beat Megaman today, guts guts!" As the sequential "guts guts" left his mouth, Gutsman pounded on his chest a few times. Lan wasn't sure why, but he started to get excited at the thought of battling Dex and Gutsman again.

"I'll accept your challenge when you are ready, Dex!"

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"That sure was a fun day, right Lan?"

The boy looked at his shoulder as the hologram of Megaman finished talking. Both of them had stayed at Yai's house for almost the entire day. As a matter of fact, they had stayed much later than Megaman wanted to. So much later, that it was already dark outside, and it was nearing time for Lan to go to sleep.

"Yeah. It was a lot of fun."  
"Told you that it would be."  
"Hehe. I guess you're right, Megaman. I'll have to listen to you more often."  
"That would be a first."

Megaman laughed a little bit, but took immediate noticed that his comment seemed to have struck a nerve in Lan somewhere. He wasn't exactly sure why it would have, but the boy abruptly stop walking just outside the front steps. Megaman quieted his laughter and took a good, hard look at his NetOp, trying to find an indication as to why he hit a nerve with his comment. However, after a moment or two of studying Lan's eyes, face, and body language, he couldn't figure out why.

"Megaman...some of the things you say about me...it's makes me sound like I wasn't a good NetOp."  
"You were a great NetOp, and you still are."  
"Then why do you keep making comments like that? Do you hate me or something?"  
"How could you think that? You're my best friend. There's no way I can hate you."  
"Then answer my question. Why do you keep making comments like that?"

Lan turned to Megaman's hologram and stared firmly at the NetNavi. Megaman wasn't sure how to explain it to Lan. Back when Lan was...Lan...he would always make comments like that because he knew how the boy would react. It would always be a reaction that involved Lan blaming him or brushing it off. However, now...now was different. Lan was actually taking offense to the comments, and even getting hurt by them.

Still, the Navi tried his best to explain it to the boy. "Well..." How could he word it just the right way? 'This isn't going to be easy,' Megaman thought to himself, staring back at Lan, who was still firmly staring back. "Well...it's not meant to hurt your feelings. It's just that...before, you were a little too carefree, and you brushed off doing menial tasks." Was that the right way to say it? Megaman didn't know. But, he opened this can of worms. Now, he had to seal it.

"But, that doesn't mean you were a bad person. You still went to school, had a great relationship with your friends, and you always did the right thing. With me, I always pointed out those flaws, because I wanted you to be the best person you can. And...I do tend to nag you about it, which you point out to me." The Navi could still see that Lan was staring directly at him. He wasn't sure if the boy was believing what he was hearing, or if he wasn't going to listen at all.

Still, Megaman continued to talk. "And, that's our thing. We point out each other's flaws with comments like that, because..." Megaman was cut-off in the middle of his sentence as Lan decided to make his thoughts known, even before the Navi could finish his own thoughts. "...because we are best friends in spite of our flaws."

"Exactly. We know our own and each others, and when we make comments like that, it's just our way of playfully teasing each other about them." The Navi wasn't sure if his response would be sufficient for Lan, but all he could do was hope that it would be.

Thankfully, Lan's firm staring turned into a more relaxed look, all the while letting a smile run across his face. Megaman noticed the smile, and felt himself relax, as well, feeling as thought yet another weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He was happy that his explanation was good enough for Lan to realize that the comments were not meant to hurt his feelings, but to just tease him about his faults.

"Ok. I get it. I guess doing those things and not getting mad about it is what makes us such good friends."  
"That's right. We like the other for who they are and what they are good at, not what they are bad at."

Lan nodded to Megaman's hologram and continued to go up the sidewalk to the front door. He didn't even get a chance to knock on the door when Mrs. Hikari opened it up, ready to welcome her son home. "Welcome home, Lan. How was your day with your friends?"

Trying not to laugh, Megaman just kept a smile on his face. Mrs. Hikari ushered Lan inside towards the Living Room couch. "I had a great time. They are all really nice, and we had a lot of fun." Lan's mother simply smiled and nodded her head, showing that she knew about their behavior. "I figured it would be fun. You always have a good time when you are with your friends."

Mrs. Hikari got up to walk into the kitchen, but stopped and turned to Lan, who was still sitting down. "Oh, I got a call today from Mr. Ayano. He let me know that you already had dinner."

Megaman looked at Mrs. Hikari, somewhat embarrassed. "Oh, sorry. I should have phoned ahead to let you know, mom." The older woman looked at the hologram, now standing on the coffee table. "No need to apologize, Megaman. If you were having a lot of fun, sometimes you forget things. Don't worry about it." Looking downward, Megaman blushed slightly. Mrs. Hikari was always good to him, and just as carefree as Lan was.

Speaking of which, Megaman looked up to see that sleep was slowly creeping into Lan's eyes. Taking quick note of this, the Navi made his suggestion to the boy. "You look tired, Lan. Maybe we should go to bed."

The boy let out a yawn, confirming Megaman's hypothesis that the boy was, indeed, getting tired. "Yeah...I am a little sleepy. We did do a lot of stuff today." Megaman nodded in agreement with Lan before making another statement, which helped to put a little humor into the atmosphere of the house before they went to bed. "Yeah. Even with all that practice, Gutsman still wasn't able to defeat us."

The two looked at each other and snickered. And, it was the truth. Dex had practiced for almost 3 hours straight before he re-challenged Lan and Megaman to a rematch NetBattle. However, all the practice was for nothing, as Lan and Megaman also did some practice of their own. Said practice consisted of Megaman helping Lan decipher which BattleChip was which, and what each of their effects were. Their practice proved to be invaluable, as they were able to defeat Gutsman and Dex in almost half the time as the first NetBattle that day.

Lan picked up the PET and started to go up the stairs when his mother spoke. "Are you going to bed, Lan?" The boy turned around slightly and looked at his mother, who seemed to have been preparing food for whatever they were going to have for dinner tomorrow. "Yeah. I had so much fun that it tired me out."

Mrs. Hikari smiled at her son. "Well, then. Have yourself a good night. I'll see you in the morning." Lan nodded, saying good night before heading upstairs to his bedroom. He opened the door and placed the PET on his desk. Afterwards, he sluggishly went over to his dresser drawers, searching for the correct drawer which contained his pajamas. Finally finding the correct drawer, he changed out of his clothes and into his pajamas. Megaman wanted to watch and be there with Lan, but knew that he couldn't Not yet, at least. He had to have patience.

"Oh, Lan. I almost forgot to tell you. I want to take you somewhere else tomorrow."  
"Another place? I hope it isn't tiring."  
"It can be at times. However, they probably won't have you do anything too serious."  
"Is it somewhere important, or just another friend's house?"  
"It's really important to you. I'll let you know in the morning."  
"Alright. Good night, Megaman."  
"Good night, Lan."

The boy dragged his feet over to his bed and pulled the covers back, allowing himself to slide onto the mattress and rest his head on the pillow at the top of the bed. Not a moment later, he pulled the covers over himself.

One last thought crossed his mind before falling asleep. 'I wonder what is so important..."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

_**Baby, look here at me,  
Have you ever seen me this way?  
I've been fumblin' for words,  
Through the tears and the hurt and the pain.  
I'm gonna lay it all out  
On the line tonight.  
And, I think that it's time,  
To tell this uphill fight goodbye.**_

~~!~~  
~~!~~

**-Sunday-**

There wasn't a single ray of sunshine in the sky. A storm front was starting to move through the area, and the clouds were making it impossible for the sun to shine through and fully illuminate the world below. The meteorologist on the morning news predicted a chance of rain for later in the day.

Giving off a soft yawn, Lan moved around under the covers, either trying to get comfortable or wake himself up. He couldn't decided yet. He was still thinking about what Megaman meant yesterday when he was going to take him somewhere that was "really important" to him. The boy didn't even know what the Navi meant by that, and that fact that it was somewhere that was important to him made him nervous.

Finally coming to the decision to wake up and get the day over with, Lan opened his eyes, revealing that his room wasn't as brightly illuminated as it was the day before. This made it easier for him to wake up, since there wasn't any blinding light coming into the room, forcing his eyes to squint to keep it out. Putting his arms behind his body, Lan slowly pushed himself upward, hoping to get some movement going to wake himself up quicker. He scanned around the room, finding that his bedroom door was still open from last night, and that his PET was still sitting on his desk. He took a quick look outside. "Hmmm...it's really cloudy."

"The forecast calls for it to rain sometime today." Lan jumped a bit at the sudden appearance of a voice. However, he quickly came to the realization that it was Megaman who had spoken. "Good morning, Lan. Did you sleep well?"

Lan sighed, trying to slow his heartbeat, which has been hastened thanks to Megaman's sudden appearance. "Yeah. I slept fine. Probably because I was so tired after everything we did yesterday at Yai's house." The boy swung his legs around and placed his feet on the floor next to his bed, getting ready to walk around. It didn't take long for him to notice the time on the clock next to his bed. 9:58am. "Glad to hear that. You always have fun with them."

"By the way, Megaman. Where are we going today?"  
"Oh, yeah. It's somewhere downtown."  
"Why is it somewhere important to me?"  
"It's something you have been involved in for almost a year. And, it's also something you really enjoy doing. Trust me on this."

Megaman activated the holographic projector on the PET, appearing next to the device on the desk. Lan looked over at the hologram of his NetNavi, who was smiling at him, and simply returned the favor before picking the device up and heading downstairs.

Mrs. Hikari was in the kitchen, her usual room of attendance, and seemed to be making what looked like breakfast. She heard footsteps and turned to see her son.

"Good morning, Lan"  
"Morning, Mom."  
"How many pancakes do you want for breakfast today?"  
"Hmmm...how about four?"  
"Alright. I'll get them ready."

Lan nodded in thanks as he took a seat at the table. He could smell the wonderful aroma as Mrs. Hikari poured the pancake batter into the skillet. It was a somewhat buttery smell, with a hint of strawberries in it. Lan took another sniff of the air, catching the smell of the pancake batter once again. The aroma filled his nostrils, making him feeling comfortable and at ease. However, he was still on the tired side, and gave off a yawn soon after.

It was silent in the kitchen for a moment or two before Mrs. Hikari broke the silence. "So Lan, Megaman. Are you two going anywhere today? Or, are you just going to stay home?" Megaman was ready to answer the question, but Lan jumped in before he could. "Yeah. Megaman said he was going to take me downtown somewhere."

"Downtown? Hmmm. I guess he's taking you to one of the shops there."  
"What kind of shops?"  
"Well, A few of your friends own shops downtown, like Mr. Higsby. He has a BattleChip shop, if I remember."  
"Oh, I see."

Mrs. Hikari turned around with a plate, which had a stack of 4 pancakes on it. She caught a quick glimpse of Lan's face and could see the confusion in it as he probably didn't even remember who Higsby was. "Well, here you go! Four fresh and pipping hot strawberry pancakes." The older woman placed the plate in front of Lan, as well as a bottle of blueberry-flavor syrup.

Lan thanked his mother as he drizzled some of the syrup on the pancakes, taking a bite not too long after.

"Delicious!"

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Lan was sitting in the Living Room with his mother, watching the last hour of the morning news. Ribitta was giving one last news report before the program switched to the daytime soap operas.

"And, our last report for the day. Cleanup and repairs are almost complete after a NetSaver's battle with a materialized NetNavi this past week." Ribitta's opening statement made Megaman's hologram swallow hard. He knew that Ribitta was talking about Lan's second fight with Cannonman. He looked up from the TV to see that Lan was interested in the story, although, thankfully, it was clear that he was unaware of the fact that the NetSaver in question was him.

"Their battle waged across several city blocks, and caused thousands of Zenny in damage. However, according to our reports from earlier this past week, the NetSaver in question was victorious, and the rogue NetNavi returned to the Cyberworld. The rogue NetNavi's current whereabouts is unknown."

Megaman looked at Lan, who still seemed interested in the news report. "That does it for today's Morning News. This is Ribitta, signing off!" The ending credits began to roll on a split screen, which also showed the line-up of shows for the remainder of the daytime program slots. Lan was still staring at the TV screen, until he decided to finally speak. "NetNavis in the real world? Wow.." Megaman knew he had to say something before Lan got the wrong idea.

"Yeah. NetNavis can get to the real world...but not in a legal way."  
"Legal way?"  
"The only way a NetNavi can get to the real world is through what is called a 'copyroid,' which is essentially a robot that can take on the form of the NetNavi who gets downloaded into the copyroid's computer system."  
"So, that's how that NetNavi got into DenTech City?"  
"Yeah. He used a copyroid and started to terrorize the city with it..."

Lan look at Megaman's hologram, giving off a curious look. The Navi saw this, and realized that the boy might be thinking that Megaman knew too much about what happened. He had to think of something before Lan started to get a little too suspicious. Besides, telling him now would ruin the surprise later. "...whoever or whatever that rogue NetNavi was." Luckily for Megaman, Lan seemed satisfied with the response.

"Hey, Lan. You should probably get ready for where we are going."  
"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot about that. I'll go take a quick shower, then get dress."

Lan was about to grab the PET and bring it back upstairs, but Megaman needed to do something first before he went to help Lan put his bandanna on, something he promised he would help him with the day before. "Wait, Lan. Leave the PET down here while you are in the shower. I want to talk with Mom for a few minutes." The boy was a little confused by the request, but decided that it would not do any harm.

Nodding his head, Lan placed the PET back on the coffee table and went upstairs. He wasn't sure what Megaman and his mother were going to talk about, but he figured that it was something that needed to be talked about, seeing as Megaman made it sound like something important. Still, putting aside what he was thinking, Lan went up to his bedroom, got his normal change of clothing, and went into the bathroom.

Listening as best as he could, Megaman waited for the shower water to start running before he started to do what he was going to do. However, Mrs. Hikari was not aware of Megaman's plan. "So, Megaman. You wanted to talk to me about something? Is it about Lan or where you are going today?" And, just like always, she was observant and was able to figure out what was going through the NetNavi's mind.

"Oh, yeah. Well, I was going to take Lan down to the NetPolice headquarters today."  
"I see. You are going to tell him about his job as a NetSaver."  
"Yeah. But, I needed to make a call to Commissioner Keifer first and let him know that Lan and I are coming."  
"That's why you wanted Lan to leave the PET down here. So, you could call him without Lan knowing."  
"Exactly. And...well..."

Mrs. Hikari raised and eyebrow and expressed a look of curiosity as she waited for Megaman to finish his sentence. Her look of curiosity grew more as Megaman disappeared from the PET screen, but not without a clue as to what happened.

Taking a quick look at the screen, Mrs. Hikari saw the phrase "Program Executed: M-Program" on the screen. She looked around the room, and not a moment too soon, as Megaman materialized just a few feet away from where she was standing, wearing the same green shirt, blue pants, and black shoes as he would normally wear in the human world.

"...I wanted to get a little fresh air. It gets a little crammed in the PET after being out here for so long. Hehe."  
"I can understand that."

They both exchanged smiles as shared in a small laugh, with Megaman still listening to the shower sound emitting from upstairs. They both took a short stroll into the kitchen, where Megaman picked up the telephone and began to dial a number into the keypad.

It took about 3 or 4 rings before the phone was answered on the other end. Megaman looked at the small telephone monitor to see Manuela on the other end. "Hello. This is the NetPolice."

"Oh, hello Ms. Manuela."  
"Who am I speaking to? Wait a minute..."  
"It's Megaman."  
"Ah, yes. I should have recognized your voice. How can I help you, Megaman?"  
"Actually, Lan is finally out and about, and I was planning on taking him to the NetPolice today, to let him know he is a NetSaver."  
"Hmmm...are you sure that is a good idea? We shouldn't try to overwhelm him too early."  
"He seemed to grasp the concept of NetBattling yesterday. We can start him out slow, then work our way from there. We don't have to throw everything at him in one day."  
"That does sound like a plan. Megaman. I'll inform Chief Keifer and let him know you are coming."  
"Ok. Lan and I will be there in about half an hour."  
"Until then, Megaman."

Manuela was about to hang up the phone before Megaman quickly made one last remark. "Oh, wait. Before you hang up..." The chief's assistant looked at the monitor.

"Yes? Was there something else?"  
"Well, Lan doesn't know about the M-Program at all. We think telling him about it will be too big of a shock and probably set his recovery back. So..."  
"You'll want us to make sure that we don't mention it, correct?"  
"Yeah. That would be a big help."  
"That's no problem, Megaman. I'll let the staff and chief know."  
"Thanks."

Manuela smiled at the Navi as she hung up the phone on her end. Megaman did the same, and not a moment too soon. As he put the phone back on the base, he heard the shower upstairs stop. He looked briefly at Mrs. Hikari, who nodded, signaling that Lan was most likely on his way out, and that Megaman needed to get back to his PET before Lan came downstairs.

Knowing full well what would happen, Megaman concentrated on the NetLine and attempted to return to his PET. However, as he was concentrating, he noticed that something wasn't quite right. He noticed that it was taking much more concentration than usual to get from the human world back to the real world. What should have taken him only a second to accomplish, ended up taking almost 5 seconds. Mrs. Hikari was actually worried when she saw that Megaman didn't return when he should have.

And, he accomplished it not a moment too soon. As Megaman exploded into pixilated boxes, Lan walked down the stairway, wearing nothing more than a towel around his waist. Luckily for the Navi, Lan did not see anything, and did not suspect a thing, or for that matter, hear anything that was said.

"Lan, make sure you get dressed soon. Megaman said he wanted to leave in a few minutes."  
"Alright. I'm just getting my PET."

The boy moved quickly as he grabbed the PET off of the coffee table and went back upstairs. Not wanting to waste anymore time in delaying the surprise that his NetNavi had in store for him, Lan opened and closed his bedroom door and made haste in getting changed. He dropped the towel, put on a pair of boxers, then proceeded to put on the normal white undershirt, then black shorts, and finally, orange vest.

After putting his shoes on, Lan looked over at his desk, spotting both his PET and headband. He wasn't exactly looking forward to putting it on, seeing as he didn't like it first time around.

Megaman's hologram appeared next to the PET, studying Lan's face. "I'm right here, Lan. I'll help you put it on." The boy looked at the holographic image with an inquisitive look. He was still perplexed by the Navi's comment. "So...how exactly will you help me put it on?" The Navi knew how to do it, even while staying inside the PET.

"It's easy. I'll just give you verbal instructions so that it won't be uncomfortable when you wear it."  
"...I guess we can give that a try. Alright. I'm ready when you are."  
"Ok, Lan. First, you don't want to put it on level. Angle the back of it downward so that it ties just above the base of your neck."

Listening to what his NetNavi was telling him, Lan picked up the headband and started to work. He had already figured out that the symbol on the front was suppose to be centered on his forehead. He knew, at least, that much.

After tying the back of the headband, Lan looked at himself in the mirror, and wasn't too happy with the outcome. Megaman took one look and tried his best to not laugh, which was to no avail. Lan had tied it on correctly and positioned the symbol properly...but the front of the headband was over the front of his hair, pushing it down and making him look funny, as well as covering half of his ears.

"Megaman...I can hear that. It's not funny!"  
"Hehe. Sorry, Lan. It's just that it's not your normal look."  
"Well, you told me to put it on like this. It's your fault."

Megaman's laughter faded quickly as he suddenly felt his eyes trying to tear up. Lan blaming him for something was one of the qualities that Megaman missed the most, so much that he caused the emotional response it did.

Quickly getting a hold of himself, Megaman continued to talk. "You're right. I'm sorry, Lan. But, that isn't your normal look. Just put the sides of the headband behind your ears and push the front under your hair, but still letting it rest on your forehead." Reluctantly, Lan listened to Megaman and adjusted the headband. He swiftly made the changes and looked at himself in the mirror again. However, unlike his first attempt, Lan was actually pleased with the results the second time around.

"Hey. This actually looks good. It's not uncomfortable, either."  
"Yeah. It's how you normally would wear it. I always thought it looked great."

Lan turned around to look at Megaman's hologram and give him a smile of thanks. The Navi, however, kept on looking at Lan. The clothing and fashion that he had come to love about the boy was back in style, and he couldn't pull his eyes away from the sight. He stared at Lan, blankly, until he caught realized what he was doing and, once again, regain his composer. "Oh, we better get going. I asked Mom to call ahead and let the place we are going know that we are coming."

"So, that's why you wanted to talk to her. You wanted to her call ahead to...wherever we are going."  
"Yeah. I can't spoil the surprise."  
"You sure like doing that...keeping things a surprise."  
"It's what I do best. Hehe."

Lan smiled at Megaman briefly before picking up the PET, placed it in it's arm strap holster, then walked out of his room and downstairs, all the while with Megaman's hologram on his shoulder.

Before they went out the front door, Mrs. Hikari spotted them. "You two have a good time, And make sure you are home for dinner today." Lan turned around after hearing his mother's statement and gave a response. "We will, Mom. Goodbye."

With a wave of his arm and hand, Lan walked out the front door.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Hey, Megaman. Where exactly are you taking me?"

There wasn't a lot of silence during their walk, but Lan had been trying to avoid the subject of where they were going for too long. He was starting to get impatient about the whole situation, and thought that knowing exactly where they were going would help him to ease what worries and impatience he had. However, it seemed that Megaman wasn't going to budge on the subject, as the answer he was about to give wasn't what Lan was looking forward to.

"You'll see when we get there. It's not too far now."  
"We've been walking for almost half an hour. Are you sure you know where you are going?"  
"Positive. It's just up the block a little more. We'll be there soon."

Lan let out a sigh, continued to move forward. "...alright..." Megaman could tell that the boy was starting to get a little impatient, as well as annoyed, by all the secrecy of where they were going. Megaman was ready to spill the beans on the whole thing, but the knowledge that they were only a block or two from the NetPolice building was enough to keep the Navi's mouth closed.

He looked at Lan and saw that after the answer he gave the boy, that there wasn't going to much more conversation for the rest of the walking time. He wasn't sure, but Megaman felt like Lan just wanted to know so that he could get it over with and get on with life.

The Navi was so deep in his thoughts that Lan almost walked right past the NetPolice building. Luckily, he snapped out of it. "Wait, Lan! Stop here!" Lan, who was also thinking about something, abruptly stopped after hearing Megaman's voice. "What's wrong, Megaman?"

"We're here. This is where I am taking you today."  
"This building here?"  
"Yeah. This is it. Go ahead and go inside. They are expecting us."

Nodding his head, Lan turned the rest of his body and started to walk up to the front door. He looked around and noticed that there wasn't a clear indication of who the tenants of the building were. This caused him to feel a little uneasy, since he didn't know what he was walking into.

Still, he felt like he could trust Megaman 100 percent. He put a hand on the doorknob, hesitating a little at first before turning it and pulling the door open.

Once open, he peered inside to see a lobby, relatively decorated, with what appeared to be a receptionist behind a desk in the middle of the room. He soon stepped inside and saw that there were a few chairs on either side of the lobby. What Lan found strange was that, side from him and the receptionist, there wasn't anything else inside the lobby. No matter how much trust he had in Megaman, Lan was starting to get worried that something bad was going to happen, and he was to be the center attraction.

"Hello, Lan. We have been expecting you today."  
"Oh...hi."  
"Let me call someone down to give you a look around the building."  
"Thanks...I guess."

The receptionist picked the phone and punched in a few numbers. It didn't take her long to get connected to someone on the other end. "Hello...yes, he is here...I would you to come down and escort him around the building...I don't know. Let me check..." The receptionist looked at Lan, almost like she was studying him, then went back to her conversation. "Yeah, he does...Alright. See you down here, and thank you."

She hung up the phone and looked back at Lan again. "Your escort will be down in a moment. Please have a seat while we wait." Quietly nodding his head, Lan strolled over to a group of seats on the left side of the lobby, sitting in the first one that his feet stopped in front of.

Megaman's hologram looked at Lan's eyes, and he knew that there was a look of uncertainty in the brown orbs. "Lan, you look a little nervous. Are you ok?" The boy's eyes looked towards his shoulder, where Megaman's hologram was standing, like always. "Yeah...just a little worried."

After making his statement, Lan turned his head and faced the center if the lobby again. He still wasn't sure who the people in the building were, and he still couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. "By the way, Megaman...what company works here?" The Navi turned to his NetOp, not sure how to answer the question. Sure, he could have said that the NetPolice were the ones who owned and operated the building, which would have ruined the surprise. On the other hand, he could still wait and let Chief Keifer tell Lan what was going on. However, the problem with that was Lan. He was starting to get impatient about the secrecy, and continuing with the secrecy would just make him more impatient, or even angry.

Just as Megaman was about to tell the entire thing to Lan, someone else spoke up, catching his and the boy's attention. "So, there you are." They both looked in the direction of the voice, only to find that it was Chaud who made the remark.

"Are you my tour guide?"  
"Yeah...I guess you can say that."  
"Wait a minute...I think I remember you..."

Megaman and Chaud looked at Lan, shocked that he would make such a remark. "You were at the hospital when I was released two days ago...you're Rod, right?" Megaman's hologram fell over onto it's side while Chaud just stared blankly at Lan. 'Rod? Wow...just when I thought he couldn't get anymore...' cutting his own thought short, realizing the situation.

"It's Chaud, not Rod."  
"Oh, hehe. Sorry."  
"Nevermind it. Come on. Let's get going."  
"Wait, where are we going?"

Chaud turned around and faced Lan. "We're going to the NetPolice chief's office." Any footsteps that Lan was about to take did not occur.

"WHAT? The NetPolice? I haven't done anything!"

Lan quickly looked at Megaman, with a more than unpleasant look on his face. "Why didn't you tell me! I'm not going to the Police chief's office!" Megaman wasn't sure what to do. All he could do right now was try to calm Lan down and get him to realize that this wasn't a kind of punishment.

"Lan, relax. It isn't what you think?"  
"Oh, yeah? Then what is it, huh?"  
"It's...well..."  
"Come on, Megaman. Spill it!"

Hearing Lan's demand for an answer, Megaman finally spilled the whole surprise. "...Because you are part of the Police Force!"

Any anger that was inside Lan suddenly disappeared. He wasn't sure how to react to the NetNavi's statement. 'I'm part of the NetPolice?' His mind wasn't able to comprehend how a 12-year old boy was part of a law enforcement agency. "...How am I part of the force?"

Megaman could have told the whole story, but he wanted to keep it short. "Well, to make this as short as possible, you and I did a lot of good in the past, fighting off crime organizations like World Three and Grave. Because of that, Commissioner Keifer offered you and me positions as NetSavers, which he both accepted."

"What is a NetSaver?"  
"The NetPolice is a law enforcement agency, like regular police. However, we deal with crimes on the Net. A NetSaver is like a junior NetPolice agent, but, unlike adult NetPolice agents, our identities are kept secret."  
"Wait...does that mean Chaud is a NetSaver too?"

Lan peered over at the white and black-haired boy, who had his hands in his front pockets. "It does, Lan. You and I are both NetSavers, sworn to protect the Net and keep the peace. It's our duty." Chaud's voice sounded stern to Lan's ears, who almost thought that Chaud was probably his superior as a NetSaver. However, he wanted to see if the other boy was his superior, or if he was always like this.

Turning to Megaman, Lan quietly whispered, hoping that Chaud would not hear him. "Megaman...is Chaud my superior or something? He sounds really stern." The Navi tried not to laugh, as this seemed to be something Lan should know. "Nah. He is a NetSaver just like you. Your only superiors are Mr. Famous, Chief Keifer, and Ms. Manuela."

"If you two are done talking, we should get to the chief's office. He is probably waiting for us." Chaud turned around once again, heading for a small staircase that seemed to lead to elevators. Lan looked at Megaman, who simply nodded, before following the other boy up the stairs. At the top were a set of 2 elevators, much like how most setups are. Chaud went over and pressed the button to send one of the down so that he and Lan would take a ride up to the floor Chief Keifer's office was located on.

It didn't take long for the elevator to response and begin coming down the shaft. Neither Chaud, Lan, or Megaman said anything during the wait. They were in complete silence the whole time. The only sound that was hear was the dinging sound normally heard when an elevator stops on a floor.

The doors opened, allowing for the two boys to step inside. Chaud went over to the inside panel, pressing the button with the number 8 on it. Lan looked at the digital viewscreen above the elevator door. It shows the letter "L" on it, signifying that they were on the lobby floor.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Chaud pressed the "door close" button, and the elevator started it's ascension. The sudden movement almost threw Lan off balance, but he was able to keep is balance while the elevator starting moving upward.

Unlike the wait for the elevator, the ride was not as quiet. "Hey, Chaud. What is Chief Keifer like?" Lan couldn't remember what the commissioner was like, but he knew that the other boy would most likely have a good idea, since he was also a NetSaver. "He's an older man, probably in his late 40s or early 50s. He understands a lot of what happens around town and around the Net, and normally has some of the best insight when it comes to Net crimes."

"Megaman mentioned someone named Ms. Manuela."  
"She is the chief's assistant. She normally helps us out when the need arises."  
"Hmmm...Megaman also mentioned someone named Mr. Famous."  
"He works with your father at SciLab. We call him if we ever need a Dimensional Area."  
"Dimensional Area?"

Megaman looked at Chaud, and could instantly tell that the other boy was getting annoyed by the consistent stream of questions coming from Lan. So, to ease Chaud's frustration, Megaman decided to jump in. "A Dimensional Area is a special area where the Cyberworld and the real world meet. It is one of the things SciLab uses in their experiments, as well as a tool used by the NetPolice during their investigations."

Lan thought about Megaman's explanation for a moment. "So...inside a Dimensional Area, NetNavi and humans can interact face to face?" The Navi was a little surprised that Lan was able to grasp the concept so quickly, but he knew that he should omit the Darkloid incident until they got to Chief Keifer's office. "Exactly. When an experiment or investigation requires a Dimensional Area, we simply call Mr. Famous at SciLab, and he will generate one for us."

"Wow...that sounds so cool!"  
"Hehe. I thought you would find it interesting."

Chaud just stood there, listening to Lan and Megaman's conversation. He could have added in more information, but just decided to look down slightly and sport a small grin across his face.

The elevator slowed down and came to a stop. The number above the elevator doors read "8," the floor that Chaud had selected. A ding was heard as the door opened, revealing a well-lit hallway, with several doors on either side. Chaud stepped out of the elevator, and Lan followed. He looked around the hallway, noting that it had some modern décor, as well as what appeared to be some more contemporary light fixtures. Thankfully, the décor and light fixtures worked well together.

The last door on the left opened up, an older woman stepping out into the hallway. "Ah, Chaud. There you are. I see you brought Lan with you." The white and black haired boy simply nodded his head as the older woman went over to Lan, who still had Megaman on his shoulder.

"Hello, Lan. I'm Manuela, assistant to Commissioner Keifer of the NetPolice."  
"Nice to meet you...again, I guess. Hehe."  
"It's good to see that you are in high spirits, Lan. It's what was one of your better traits as a NetSaver."  
"So...what did I do exactly, as a NetSaver, I mean."  
"I'll let the chief inform you of that. Please, go inside. He is very anxious to see you."

Manuela motioned to the door. Lan, who was still a little nervous about the whole situation, silently nodded his head and walked inside.

The room was rather large, especially for an office. The light fixtures matched the ones in the hallway, and there was a large set of windows behind the deck. Lan walked slowly inside, taking in the design of the room, as well as eyeballing he man sitting at the desk. He was on the bigger side, bigger meaning fat, as well as balding on the top of his head. He didn't wear glasses, which Lan was actually expecting, but he was wearing a suit, which was also something the boy expected.

"Hello, Lan. How are you feeling?"  
"I'm doing good. Just a little nervous."  
"That's to be expected. I am Commissioner Keifer, General Superintendent of the NetPolice."  
"Nice to meet you."

As soon as their introductions were done, Manuela walked into the room. "Excuse me, Lan. But, would it be too much trouble if Chaud and I could borrow your PET? We would like to talk with Megaman while you are in here with the Chief." Lan looked behind him, wondering why she and Chaud wanted to talk to Megaman alone. To the boy, it seemed like there was still a lot of secrecy going on, and it was a feeling that he didn't like. But still, the last time two times Megaman talked in private with someone, something good actually happened, considering that the day at Yai's house was fun, and the news about being a NetSaver was kinda cool.

Lan nodded his head as he handed off the PET to Manuela. "Sure. Here you go." Manuela took the device from Lan's hand, nodded, then left the room, leaving the boy and Chief Keifer to talk.

Outside the Chief's office, Megaman got the OK from Chaud and Manuela to use the M-Program while Lan wasn't around. "You wanted to talk to me about something?" Megaman was perplexed as to why they wanted to talk to just him. He was sure that anything they needed to talk to him about they could talk to Lan about, especially if it concerned his recovery.

Chaud looked at Megaman briefly, then back to Manuela, who gave the white and black-haired boy a simple nod. "Megaman...as Lan's NetNavi, you know more about his recovery than the rest of us..." Chaud paused. He wasn't sure if there was a delicate way of saying what he was about to say, but he came to the conclusion that it had to be said. "...and his rate of recovery is what we are concerned about."

"What do you mean? He is recovering really well."  
"Even if he is recovering as well as you say, it will still take a lot of time. Typical Amnesia cases may take upwards of five months before the person completely recovers."  
"You've known Lan for a while. He is anything but 'typical'."  
"But, he may still take a long time before..."

Chaud paused again. He tried his best not to show any emotion. He wanted to make sure that Megaman was made fully aware of what he was implying. "...before he can be put on a case again, let alone take on UnderNet Mafia agents." Chaud's words hit Megaman's ears, and he already knew that this conversation wasn't going to end well. Nonetheless, he was still surprised that Chaud would be bringing this up, even now.

"Wait...are you saying that Lan...may be getting removed from the NetSavers?"  
"Megaman...it was hard for us to even come to that conclusion..."  
"No...no way! How can you turn your back on Lan at a time like this?"

The other NetSaver looked down at the ground. "Look, Megaman...it isn't as though we are going to remove him immediately. But...if he cannot recover to the point where he can execute his duties as a NetSaver, then he just becomes a liability and dead weight." Chaud could feel his eyes quiver, an automatic reaction to his normal persona of holding back tears. He really didn't want to do this, but it was necessary to keep anything bad from happening to both the Net Police and Lan himself.

"Megaman..." Chaud knew that he had to keep calm and convey the decision in a stern manner. "...This wasn't a decision we took lightly. If Lan can't execute his duties as a NetSaver, then we can't keep him on. I'm sorry, Megaman."

The Navi looked at Chaud, an anger starting to flare up from within himself. He was both angry and sad that Chaud would do this, or the Chief for that matter. However, his anger, which he sometimes had trouble controlling, was starting to get the better of him. "How can you calmly say that? What kind of friend just turns his back on another friend when they need their help and support the most? How can you stand yourself?"

The boy could see that Megaman was not taking the news well, which in itself was strange, since the Navi normally took almost all news, good or bad, in a calm manner, always looking on the optimistic side. "The decision can't be helped, Megaman. If Lan doesn't improve, and cannot do his duty, then he will have to be discharged."

Another flare of anger from inside the Navi awoke. "His duty? This is about him not being able to do what he is suppose to do? All this...coming from you, Chaud. I can't believe that you would turn into a hypocrite!" The white-haired boy's eyes widened. 'What does he mean by that?' Now, Chaud was also getting angry, especially after being called a hypocrite for the first time by the Navi."

"What? You don't remember, Chaud? Well, maybe this will refresh your memory. When you used the DarkChip on Protoman, he became a Darkloid." The story Megaman was reciting started to make Chaud even more angry, seeing as the Navi was 'digging up bones,' so to speak.

"You had given up hope on ever getting him back. You gave up on your Navi when the chips were down. Everyone else tried their hardest to get Protoman back, but you. Lan and the Net Police never turned their backs on you! And now, when the chips are down for Lan, you are doing the exact same thing to him as you did with Protoman. That is what make you a hypocrite!"

Before things started escalating further, Manuela finally stepped in. "That's enough, Megaman!" The Navi looked at his superior, still with a sense and look of anger on his face. "No! It's not enough!" Megaman was almost screaming, something he rarely if ever did. Both Manuela and Chaud were taken aback by his sudden outburst, half-expecting Lan and the Chief to open the doors to his office to see what all the commotion was about.

Finally, the sadness and upset that had been building inside Megaman started to come out in the form of tears. "After everything Lan has done...all of the enemies he defeated...all of the times he put himself in danger to save everyone else...the one time he needs help from his closest friends and superiors, they turn their backs on him." The outburst still left Chaud and Manuela speechless.

And, it didn't take long for Megaman to make one more statement. "I guess it wouldn't be a bad thing if he was discharged because...if this is the way you are going to treat him, then you don't deserve to have him as a NetSaver!" The Navi's final statement put even more shock into Manuela and Chaud. However, Chaud was still upset over being called a hypocrite. He was just about to make his own statement when all three of them heard the door to Chief Keifer's office start to open.

Megaman pulled himself together just in time to disappear back into his PET before Lan and the Chief walked into the hallway. The two of them were apparently finished with their talk inside the office.

"So...we really helped to stop all them? World Three, Grave, Nebula, Neo World Three, and the Zoanoroids?"  
"You were not just help, Lan. You and Megaman were instrumental in putting an end to those criminal organizations. You should be very proud of yourselves."  
"I am, sir. Thanks for letting me know we did so much good for people."  
"Ha-ha. It's no problem at all, Lan. Knowing your past can help make you a better person in the future."

Lan nodded his head as he looked towards Chaud and Manuela. He instantly noted that both of them had looks of frustration or anger on their faces. He wasn't sure what could have caused that, seeing that all they did was talk with Megaman. "What's wrong? You guys look like you just had a fight or something." Chaud didn't say anything as he quickly handed Lan his PET, all the while keeping on the same look he had when the other boy came out of the office.

Without missing a beat, Megaman yelled out from his PET.

"Let's go, Lan. We don't need to stay here."  
"Really? I was having a good..."  
"Lan. Let's just leave. We have to get home."  
"...Alright."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Why did we have to leave in such a rush, Megaman?"

Lan was already halfway home when he finally decided to break the silence that had befallen him and Megaman after they left the Net Police Headquarters. Megaman, whose hologram was sitting on Lan's shoulder, did not respond right away. 'Should I tell him? No...that would set his recovery back...and he doesn't need to know that right now.'

"It's not important."  
"Are you sure? You made it sound important before we left."  
"Trust me. It's not important."  
"If you say so..."

Lan knew Megaman was lying. He could tell from the Navi's voice and tone that something happened during his talk with Chaud and Manuela. The tone said so many things, like there was a verbal fight that happened. However, Lan figured that Megaman was just too upset at the moment to talk about it, and decided not to push the issue anymore.

Thankfully, the walk home wasn't long at all. Megaman had told Lan that he was good with Roller-blades, which prompted the boy to bring his pair with him, figuring that he could give them a try on the way home instead of on the way to where they were going earlier that morning. At first, he couldn't quite get his balance right, and fell a few times when he tried to stand up. However, it didn't take him long to find the right balance to stand on the wheels, and only a little longer to keep his balance while moving. Needless to say, he was impressed with himself, as was Megaman.

They soon got to the front door of the house, where Lan sat down and removed his blades from his sneakers. He glanced at his shoulder to see Megaman was still staring off into the distance. He knew something was wrong, and figured he would ask one more time. "I know something is wrong, Megaman. Maybe I can help you, but you have to tell me, first."

"It's...well..." The Navi wasn't sure he could tell Lan the truth. He knew that the truth might even set Lan's recovery back. And, that was something that he had to avoid. "I got into an argument with Chaud and Manuela."

"I should have guessed. They both looked upset."  
"Yeah...they were...not happy with my performance on the day you had your accident."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well...they think that I could have done more to have helped prevent any harm to you. I told them that I did my best, but they really didn't have any of it."  
"That's rude of them."

Great, now instead of telling Lan the truth, Megaman told a lie that might affect how Lan looks at Manuela and Chaud. He could only hope that he would be able to tell Lan the truth soon, and not have to wait until the boy saw Chaud or Manuela again, thereby letting the truth out, and making him look like the worst NetNavi around.

Standing up, Lan put his Roller-blades on the back of his shorts, where they would normally hang. Before he could even take out his key, Mrs. Hikari opened the front door. "Welcome home, Lan!" He usual smile and cheerful tone of voice resonated inside the house. "Did you enjoy your visit to the Net Police building?" Hearing his mother's word, Lan knew that Megaman had told his mother where they were going that day, but figured that the Navi must have wanted it to be a surprise, which explained the secrecy earlier that day.

"Yeah. It was nice. I didn't know I was a NetSaver."  
"That you are. Your father and I are even more proud of you since you became a NetSaver. It's so nice that you do so much good."

Lan blushed a little bit, apparently a little embarrassed at his mother's praise. "Thanks, Mom." Mrs. Hikari only smiled back as she went into the Living Room to do some cleaning. Lan went into his room upstairs to relax after taking in so much from Chief Keifer.

"Hey, Megaman. Is everything that Chief Keifer said about me true?"  
"Hmm? What did you tell you?"  
"He said that you and I were instrumental in defeating World Three, Grave, Nebula, Neo World Three, and the Zoanoroids. Is that true?"  
"It is. From the day you got me 2 years ago, you and I have been fighting off all kinds of criminals. And, we always end up winning."  
"I guess we just make a great team."  
"That we do, Lan."

They both smiled at each other, both feeling a little more at ease, more so for Megaman than Lan. The argument with Chaud frustrated Megaman more than he wanted to admit, and it really took it's toll on him. He just wanted to go to sleep and process everything that happened today.

A noise was heard by Megaman which pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked around to see that Lan had placed the PET on the desk and went over to the closet, seemingly getting a change of clothes. He was a little curious as to why Lan was already getting a change of clothing since it was only 3:21 in the afternoon, nowhere near his bedtime for a school night...

School night! Megaman almost forgot to mention that to Lan. "Hey, Lan. I almost forgot to tell you something." The boy peered out from the closet, looking at the hologram of Megaman on the desk.

"What is it?"  
"Tomorrow is a school day. So, you'll have to wake up earlier than normal so you are not late."  
"Do you think I should go to school tomorrow?"  
"Of course! You can see your friends again, meet your teachers, and get back into your normal routine."  
"Ok. I'll keep that in mind."

Going back to getting a change of clothing, Lan kept digging through his closet. He didn't know what he was looking for, exactly, but he was just looking for something.

Megaman, on the other hand, knew exactly what he wanted to do. He really wanted to sleep for a little bit. And now, he would be able to do that, since he got done what he needed to get done before he forgot. Now, once he told Lan, he would simply go into sleep mode and leave Lan to surfing the Net or something else.

"Hey, Lan. I'm going to take a short nap."  
"You're tired already?"  
"Yeah. My argument with Chaud was really tiresome. I'll just be asleep for an hour or two."  
"What should I do while you are asleep?"  
"Well, you can surf the Net, talk to your Mom, or watch TV."

Lan pulled his head out of the closet, holding a pair of blue jeans in one hand and a blueish-gray shirt in the other. Setting them on his bed, Lan walked over to his desk and sat in his chair. He looked at Megaman and smiled. "Have a good nap. I'll try not to wake you."

"Hehe. No worries there, Lan. I'll sleep soundly."  
"If the argument was as bad as you say, I'm sure you will."  
"See you in an hour or two, Lan. Don't get into trouble."  
"I won't. Night, Megaman."

With their conversation over, Megaman initiated his program's Sleep Mode and disappeared from the viewscreen. Lan couldn't help but notice that the Navi still had a bit of anger in him. He could see it in Megaman's eyes. Even if it was just an argument over something as simple as his performance during a crisis, Lan figured Megaman was the type to get over something like that and put it behind him.

'There's definitely something more to it.'

~~!~~  
~~!~~

_**Have ever had to love someone,  
That just don't feel the same?  
Tryin' to make somebody care for you,  
The way I do,  
Is like tryin' to catch the rain.  
And if love is really forever,  
I'm a winner at a losin' game.**_

~~!~~  
~~!~~

**_Another chapter is done! Woo!_**

**_Alright. Here's the deal. I know that I have been slacking off in getting the chapters out at a consistent rate. However, I got some terribad writer's block and it really hurt my creativity. But, the good news is that I finished this chapter up, and I believe that I am getting over my writer's block. So, with a little luck and A LOT of hope, I will be cranking out the next 2-3 chapters much more quickly than I did this one!_**

**_ALSO!_**

**_As promised, I said that I would post a special "Sneak Peak" for my sequel fanfic. Right now, the name is undecided. I'll probably come up with one once I finished this one off. The sequel fanfic is also going to be rated M, as there will be strong language and some sexual-related themes._**

**_BUT, FIRST!_**

**_A little bit of background information before I jump into the sneak peak._**

_Kurosu Sukachi, or Suka for short, is a 14-year old high school student that lives in a place called Konihara Town, located in Japan. He is a little more intelligent than the rest of his classmates, and lives with his older brother, Richiro, who is 17, and his mother, Hanita, who is 40. His father died at the age of 41, and would have been 43 when Sukachi turned 14. Because Sukachi came out to his family at 12 years old (and, had a boyfriend, Yuichi), his mother and brother treat him coldly, so coldly that they break normal Japanese culture, forcing Sukachi to address them by first name and with the -sama suffix. Before his death, only Sukachi's father truly understood, accepted, and supported Sukachi and Yuichi's relationship._

_Sukachi lives in a Beyondard parallel to Hikari Netto's world. That Beyondard...is our world, our time. This is a play on the theory presented in the show "Sliders" that there are thousands of parallel worlds, each unique in their own right._

_As the following Sneak Peak unfolds, you will see what Sukachi has to deal with, and how a shocking event turns his world upside down, testing his virtues, his beliefs, and his very soul._

**_With that out of the way, let's get this sneak peak underway!_**

~~!~~  
~~!~~

**-Konihara Town, Kurosu residence-**

The previous day, the weatherman predicted that it would rain for the next 2 days, much harder in some areas as compared to others...and was he ever right. The rain in Konihara Town had been going on and off for the past 30 hours, unloading bucket after bucket of wet precipitation. The torrential downpour left no one dry. If you so much as went outside to even catch a breath of fresh air, you were more than likely to get, at the very least, half of your jeans and shirt soaked.

Sukachi was getting sick and tired of the rain. He really wanted to just get out of the house and hang out with his friends, Yuichi, Naomi, and Kohaku. He was getting very bored with being stuck inside, which also gave his brother and mother an excuse to get him to do their work around the house, mostly cleaning and minor fixing.

He could only be thankful that his bedroom ceiling didn't start leaking at all, since it was located in the basement. All he had for natural lighting in his room were rectangular windows, almost like privacy windows used in bathrooms. The only good thing about them was that they did open enough for him to crawl outside, which gave him a bit of an escape route in case he ever needed to leave, since his mother and brother thought him to be too big to fit through the windows themselves.

"Sukachi, what are you doing just sitting there?"  
"I've been cleaning almost all day. I need a break."  
"You still have chores to do. Once you get them done, you can rest, but not a minute before."

Letting out a sigh, Sukachi got up off the Living Room couch. "Yes, Hanita-sama." He knew that trying to argue with his mother was a loosing battle. Fortunately, it was different with his brother, Richiro. While arguing with him would sometimes end in Hanita getting involved and punishing Sukachi, there were times when the younger brother would have the upper hand, forcing the older sibling to yield and concede the argument, whatever it was.

Slowing leaving the Living Room, Sukachi walked into the bathroom, picked up the bowl cleaner brush, and started to work. A lot of the dirt, stains, and stuck-on crap were spread around the entire bowl, from the lower area inside the water itself, to just below the rim. He could only be thankful that his mother has bought a new style handle that dispense a cleaning solution into the brush itself, making his chore less tiresome and tedious.

A loud crack of thunder was heard throughout the house. The sudden sound made Sukachi whip his head up and look out the window inside the bathroom. The bolt of lightning was close. It nearly illuminated the outside completely. If the lightning has been far away, the light from the bolt would have not been as strong, nor would the thunder sound caused by it. And, to top it all off, Sukachi didn't remember the weatherman stating that this was going to be a thunderstorm of any kind. All he said was that it would produce a high amount of rain, with the possibility for hail.

Thinking that the weatherman was wrong about his prediction, Sukachi continued with his assigned chore and continued to clean the bowl of the toilet. He found himself pushing the solution release button a few times before some of the dirt started to loosen up, allowing him to finally clean the bowl. 'Damn them both. I guess it's rocket science to them to have to do stuff like this.' The only thing that kept Sukachi from going on a rampage was his sarcastic thoughts about his mother and brother.

Another loud crack of thunder. This time, it was even closer than the first, judging from the loudness of the sound. And, it seemed to have jarred a power line around, as the lights in the house flickered several times, as well as causing the TV in the Living Room to shut off due to the sudden loss of power.

Sukachi left the bathroom and went into the Living Room, where his mother and brother were sitting down, just getting the TV back on. "Did they say if we are in a Thunderstorm Warning yet?" Richiro looked up from the TV. "Does it look like we know yet? The TV just came back on." Richiro pushed a few buttons on the remote, changing the channel to the local news, who seemed to have an update on the storm.

"Channel 9 WeatherWatch with a storm update. Ticharu, Konihara, and Hirokuma have issued Severe Thunderstorm Warnings to their respective towns. Reports of golfball-size hail have already been reported in surrounding areas. Residents are advised to stay away from windows and to take shelter if the storms in your area worsen. And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming..."

"A severe thunderstorm warning...Richiro, go and get the flashlights in case the power goes out again."  
"Where did we put them, mother?"  
"They are in the kitchen, inside the drawer closest to the back door."  
"Alright. I'll get them."

Sukachi watched as his brother went into the kitchen. "Hanita-sama...should I get anything?" Hanita looked at her youngest son, her expression changing from concerned to stern, in almost a heartbeat. Sukachi was use to that look. It was the normal look he got from her. "You continue cleaning the toilet. If the storm gets really bad, then you can stop and go downstairs until it passes."

Her voice was stern, yet cold at the same time. It was yet another attitude that Sukachi was use to. He had to deal with it for almost 2 years now. Anyone who had to deal with something for that amount of time would have gotten use to it. However, fighting was futile, and Sukachi knew that. Without another word, he went down the hallway and into the bathroom, continuing to clean the toilet.

'Maybe I should have never told them...' He was lost in his thoughts, mindlessly moving the brush around the bowl, completely passing over spots that needed to be cleaned, and moving over already clean spots more than once. 'No! I can't think like that. I made my choice. If they can't live with it, then it's their damn problem, not mine.'

Focusing on the bowl after pulling himself out of his thoughts, he noticed that most of it was already clean. All that was left was for him to clean a spot or 2, then wash the brush off before putting it back in it's caddy. 'That took a shorter amount of time than I thought.' He wasn't sure if he was because he got lost in his thoughts, or that it just wasn't as dirty as he thought it was. Needless to say, he was happy that he was done.

_-thunder cracking-  
__-glass breaking-_

Sukachi looked around the bathroom, only to find that one of the privacy windows inside the bath tube had been shattered. The glass fell from it's perch and into the tube below. Fortunately for Sukachi, the sliding doors were both closed, so none of the glass got into the bathroom itself. It was all contained to the tub.

"Shit!"He yelled louder than he wanted to, but was thankful that his yelling was dulled out by the sound of the heavy rain falling into the bath tube. 'I think it's time to head downstairs.' Tossing the toilet brush into it's caddy, Sukachi left the bathroom and went to the Living Room. He discovered that his mother and brother had already left and went downstairs.

Unknowingly, Sukachi started to think out loud. "Those sons of bitches..." Only after making his statement did he realize that he had just said he thought out loud. Quickly looking around to make sure they were actually downstairs, Sukachi took a breath of relief. 'Thank god...they are downstairs.'

Wasting no more time, he took the staircase to the basement. Peering past the basement doorway, be looked into the Family Room to see Hanita and Richiro sitting down and watching another weather update. He had to say something about the bathroom window, lest he run the risk of them thinking he broke it, and punish him accordingly. "A lightning bolt shattered the window in the bathroom."

"It doesn't matter. Just stay down here, but stay quiet. We are trying to watch the weather." Hanita was the first to speak.  
"Yeah. Go into your room or something. Just don't bother us." Richiro spoke second.

Coldly. That was the only adjective Sukachi could think of to describe how is brother and mother treated him. Silently sighing, he went down a short hallway to a doorway that looked very aged. The only thing that looked new or refurbished was the doorknob, which Sukachi had purchased with his own money and installed on his own time. It was something that his mother was not happy with, since the doorknob locked from the inside, and Sukachi made sure only he had a key. That way, he had at least one place in the house that he would consider his personal sanctuary.

Soon after entering his room and closing the door, Sukachi locked it, as it was now a habit of his. Whenever he was doing something in his room, he always locked the door. Hell, it has gotten to the point where even when he was just sleeping, he would lock the door. But, mostly, he got the new doorknob because there were times when his now ex-boyfriend, Yuichi, would be over, and they would do stuff that required some privacy.

No sooner after plopping down on his bed, another crack of lightning and rumbling of thunder occurred. However, this time, it was almost as if it occurred right next to the house. Sukachi jumped off his bed, almost falling in the process, which would not have been good, since the last bolt of lightning completely knocked out power to the house.

"Great...no power." Sukachi sighed again, knowing that he would have to be the one who would check the circuit breaker and make a call to the electric company from a cell phone.

He started to walk towards his bedroom door, ready to check the circuit breaker, when another bolt of lightning was heard. He stopped in his tracks, before even opening the door. The sound of the thunder was...quieter. He saw the light generated from the bolt fill his room, and the time it took for the thunder to reach his ears after the lightning struck was instantaneous. That could only mean that it must have happened somewhere very close to his window.

Looking over at his bedroom window, Sukachi started to think about what just happened. 'It was different from a normal lightning bolt...what was it?' Turning his body around, the boy started to walk towards his window. As he got closer, he caught the smell of what seemed to be burned grass.

The blinds were closed, but the smell was still in the air, seeping into his room from the window. Sukachi pulled a string on the blinds to open up upward. He was greeted to a sight of heavy rain, and partially flooded grass. He couldn't remember the last time there was this much rainfall over a 30 hour timespan. The sky was also dark, allowing very little sunlight to reach the earth, even at 4:28pm during the summer.

With such a lack of nature light, Sukachi found it very difficult to look around to see if he could spot the area where the lightning bolt struck. 'It has to be very close. The smell couldn't travel so far in such a short time.' Being a little bit smarter than your average 14-year old, he quickly decided that the lightning must have struck close to the house, maybe even right next to it. The only way he could find out for sure was to go outside and scout the grassy areas for any signs of burned grass.

Grabbing a small flashlight on his desk, Sukachi went to the window and opened it. On the other side was a lift-able screen panel for when he just wanted some fresh air during the summer. However, it did very little to stop water from hitting the actual window.

Immediately realizing that it was still raining hard, Sukachi went over to his closet, flashlight on and in hand, and grabbed his raincoat. The last thing he wanted was to get soaked to the bone and have to explain that to his mother. Wasting no more time, he lifted the screen panel up and started to squeeze himself out the window. His body barely fit through the tight fixture, but he made it outside, nonetheless.

Shining his flashlight around, he found a small patch of burnt grass. It's shape was circular, but not a perfect circle. A few of the edges were rigid, indicating to the boy that lightning strikes don't always yield perfect circles like he thought they did. But, in the middle of the shape, he saw something that caught his eye.

Moving towards the spot more, he noticed a device in the middle, rectangular in shape. It looked somewhat like an iPod, but the textures and color were completely different. What he could guess was the top-right had a small slot in it, and the viewscreen was on the bottom center. The top-left side also had what looked like 2 buttons, while the top middle had something else on it.

Sukachi went to pick the device up. It looked to be turned off, and there wasn't a button anywhere on it that indicted that it was the 'On' button. The top middle had some symbol on it; a circle with a line through the middle, connecting 2 triangles on the top-right and bottom-left of the circle. The triangles and connecting line were colored black, while the remaining circle pieces were colored red.

Hoping that it was a button of some kind, Sukachi pressed it. It reacted just like any button, and started to boot up the device. "What is this? I've never seen anything like it." The screen started to light up, and a three-letter word appeared on the screen...

PET.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

**_SO! How did you like the sneak peak? A little bit on the mysterious side, but also with an element of suspense! I am REALLY looking forward to writing that story. I think it will be a GREAT experience to cross a real-life world with a fictional one. You can bet that it is gonna be a great read!_**

**_As always, reviews are ALWAYS appreciated, and any poles that you can vote in are found in my profile!_**

**_Hope to get 15 up soon!_**


	15. Chapter 15: Depressing Days

**_Hey Readers!_**

**_Here is Chapter 15 for your reading pleasure!_**

**_Once again, sorry for the long wait. It's just been one writer's block after the other, and it has been getting frustrating. But, rest assured, I WILL finish this story, one way or the other!_**

**_I just wanted to make a quick note before we begin: If you ever want to just have a chat with me, visit my profile and shoot me a Private Message! I'll be more than happy to response!_**

**_With that out of the way, let's see what Lan and Megaman are up to this chapter! Note that in this chapter, things are going to take a bit of an unexpected twist!_**

**_Story, START!_**

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Chapter 15 - Depressing Days

**-Monday-**

_-Lan. Wake up. You don't want to be late for school again-_

_Mrs. Hikari's voice could be heard from Lan's alarm clock. It was a sound that the boy heard each and every morning. It was something that his mother had designed in hopes that it would help him wake up on time so that he wasn't late for school. Unfortunately, it rarely, if ever, worked._

_The real job of waking Lan up in the morning belonged to Megaman._

"_Lan! Wake up! You only have 30 minutes before school starts!" The Navi's voice was nagging, like he normally was. It was a voice that Lan was use to hearing...and use to ignoring. One would be able to attribute this to his consistent tardiness._

"_Megaman...just let me sleep a little more."  
_"_You wouldn't have to sleep so much if you actually went to bed on time."  
_"_But...I did go to bed on time."  
_"_Lan...going to bed at midnight on a school night is NOT going to bed on time."_

_The boy simply rolled over, facing away from his computer deck, where his PET resided. Megaman sighed, knowing that he had to find some way to wake Lan up so that he wasn't late for school...again. He knew that the boy had to be sick and tired of hearing Ms. Mari's tardiness speeches day in and day out. Even he was starting to feel that they were becoming extremely repetitive._

_But, Megaman pressed on in his morning ritual of waking his NetOp up. "LAN HIKARI! WAKE UP!" The Navi's voice was literally screaming now, something that seemed to work most of the time. And, true to it's effectiveness, this morning was no exception. Lan's body immediately came out of sleep, much quicker than he would have wanted. In fact, the shear volume of the noise caused the boy to quickly roll over again...this time, onto the floor below the bed._

_Holding his head from the impact, Lan got up, glaring over at the source of the yelling._

"_Megaman! You know that you don't have to do that to wake me up!"  
_"_But, it works better than all of my other attempts."  
_"_Yeah, but still...yelling isn't always the best solution."  
_"_It may not be the best, but it is better than everything else."_

_Lan simply looked away from the device without saying another word, walking towards his closet to get a change of clothing for the upcoming school day. Like always, he found a white shirt, orange vest, and a pair of black shorts to wear. Megaman couldn't believe how consistent the boy was when it came to his clothes. The Navi knew that Lan had many other kinds of clothing inside his closet, but, for some reason, the outfit he normally wore was his favorite._

_Megaman had never addressed that thought, and figured that now would be a good time to. "You know, Lan. It never hurts to have some variety in the clothes you wear." Lan's head emerged from the closet, looking over at the Pet on his desk._

"_It's my favorite outfit. I don't look good in anything else. Is it such a crime to want to not look ridiculous in public?"  
_"_Everyone needs to take a break from their norm once in a while."  
_"_When I get tired of my 'norm', I'll let you know."_

_Walking over towards his bed, Lan set his change of clothes down. Looking at the nearby clock, the boy knew that he wouldn't have time to take a shower, let alone get a full breakfast for that matter._

_Deciding that he was going to be late no matter what, instead of getting ready in a timely fashion, Lan got dressed in his clothes much more slowly than Megaman thought he should. Something inside the Navi told him that he had to nag Lan about this, that he had to tell his NetOp that if he didn't hurry up, that he would definitely be late, and that Ms. Mari would be upset._

"_Lan, you should get ready faster."  
_"_I'm going to be late no matter what, Megaman. So, why rush it?"  
_"_Because if you do rush, you won't be AS late as compared to if you didn't rush."  
_"_The end result is just gonna be the same. There's no point in rushing."  
_"_If you rush, Ms. Mari might think that you are..."_

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Megaman? Are you awake?"

The Navi was pulled out of his daydream by his NetOp's sudden voice. Looking around from Lan's shoulder, Megaman noticed that they were already halfway to school. Peering at a passing clock, the Navi took note that Lan was actually running earlier than he usually would. 'Well, that's one positive side to his Amnesia.' Megaman's somewhat dark and sarcastic remark almost struck a nerve in him, but such sarcastic remarks seemed to be the only thing that was keeping the Navi sane.

Taking another quick look around, he finally replied. "Oh, sorry Lan. I was daydreaming." The boy looked at the hologram on his shoulder with a somewhat confused looked on his face. Megaman saw the look, and knew it well. It was the look that Lan had whenever someone was trying to explain something to him that he just wasn't going to understand right off the bat. "NetNavis can daydream?"

"Yeah. Actually, I was more or less remembering what your school mornings were really like."  
"What they were really like? Were they not as good as this morning?"  
"Not really. They normally consisted of me yelling at you to wake up or you would be late for school, to which you would ignore me until the very last moment."  
"I couldn't have been THAT lazy...could I? Wait. How do I know you aren't making that up?"

Megaman looked at the boy, almost shocked to hear those words. However, he noticed that Lan had a hint of a smile on his face. He could only guess that the smile was Lan's way of trying to be sly, almost teasing the Navi. Still, Megaman decided to play along. "How could you think that, Lan? I wouldn't lie to you about that. You're my NetOp and my Boyf..." The Navi stopped himself mid-sentence. He knew what he was going to say, and he wanted to say it. But, it wasn't the time, and it DEFINITELY was not something that Lan needed to hear so early in his recovery.

"...Megaman? What were you going to say?"  
"Huh? Oh, I was going to say that you are my...best friend! I couldn't lie to my best friend!"  
"Relax, Megaman. I was just kidding about it, you know, like you said we do."

Megaman thought for a moment, soon realizing what Lan was referring to. "...Right! It's good to see that you remembered that!" The boy let out a small laugh, which the Navi joined in on shortly thereafter.

However, the laughing didn't last long.

Lan came to an abrupt stop on the sidewalk, for what seemed to be no apparent reason. Megaman looked straight ahead, then at the boy's surroundings. The Navi wasn't sure if Lan had stopped because they were at a crosswalk, if he wasn't feeling good, or if he spotted something so surprising that it forced him to stop dead in his tracks.

"...Lan? Are you..."  
"Megaman...this spot..."  
"What about it?"  
"..This is where I meet up with Maylu and the others..."

Megaman's eyes widened. 'He's right! Could he have...?' The Navi's mind started racing with all kinds of thoughts. Some of them were almost completely irrelevant to the situation, while others popped into his head because of the current situation. However, amongst them all, there was one thought that stuck out the most.

With his eye still dilated, Megaman finally spoke the one thought that trumped all others. "Lan...you...you remembered!" The Navi knew that he didn't tell Lan about this place. He knew that he never mentioned Lan's meeting spot. He knew that he never told any stories that included Lan meeting up with his friends at this spot. The only possible explanation was that the boy finally remembered something on his own, and that, in itself, was one of the most joyous things Megaman could have expected that day, or any other day for that matter.

"Yeah...I...remember. We would meet here so we could talk on our way to school."

"Lan...that's right! You did remember!" Megaman felt like throwing his arms around the boy and giving him a warm embrace, happy and content knowing that Lan was started to make some noticeable progress in his recovery. Unfortunately, still being confined inside the PET, with only the holo-projector as a means to interacting face-to-face with his NetOp, the feeling Megaman had to hug Lan was quickly washed away.

Before either of them could say another word, they both heard another voice, a little bit off in the distance. "Hey, Lan! Wait for us!" The boy turned is head to the left to see Maylu, Dex, Yai, and Tory all walking to the spot where he was standing. Megaman, too, saw the four of them. Even though he was bummed about not being able to give Lan a hug, Megaman was still excited to see what reaction Lan's friends would make when he told them the good news.

"Thanks for waiting, Lan."  
"Sure, anytime."

The children looked at Lan, a little curious as to what he was doing out. Tory would be the one who would ask. "Were you going to school today, Lan?" The boy was a little bit surprised by the question. He thought that they would know that he was going to be going to school, on a school day, no less.

"Of course. It is a school day, right?" The other children looked at each other before Yai responded. "Well, we all figured that you were going to stay home today." Lan looked at his friends, not completely sure as to why they would think that he would be staying home. He did remember that Megaman said it was a school day, and he knew that going to school was something that he had to do, since he was a kid, after all. And, he knew that going to school was what kids did.

"Well," Maylu began to speak. "It's good that you are out and about, Lan. So, since we are all here, let's head to school."

Another voice was heard immediately after Maylu stopped talked. "Maylu, just remember that you have a Piano Lesson after school today." Roll appeared on the girl's shoulder, making sure that her NetOp was reminded of the scheduled event. Maylu looked at her shoulder to see the now holographic NetNavi standing there. "Thanks, Roll. I almost forgot about it."

She quickly glanced at the rest of the group. "Sorry, guys. Looks like I won't make it to Yai's house after school."

"That's ok. We can get together another time." Yai chimed in.  
"She's right. It's not the end of the world or anything." Tory agreed with Yai.  
"Wait! That means I can't NetBattle Lan!" Dex, like usual, was the most upset.

"Oh, Dex. Give it a rest. It isn't like you won't see Lan for the rest of your life. It's only one day," Yai said, with her more-than-obvious outspoken tone of voice. Of the entire group of friends, Yai was the most outspoken and sarcastic one of them all. Whether it was because of her status in the world as the daughter of a multi-billionaire company owner, or because she just felt like it, was not known to the group.

Megaman listened to his friends chat, but he knew that he could hold on no longer. He had to tell them that Lan remembered something on his own. It wasn't something that he wanted to keep hidden. It was something that needed to be said.

Without even knowing what he was doing, Megaman simply blurted out to the group. "Lan remembered where you guys normally meet!"

The four children walking with Lan looked at the transparent NetNavi on the boy's shoulder. They weren't exactly sure what Megaman would blurt something like that out. All of their faces had looks of confusion and puzzlement on them, until they finally realized the significance of the NetNavi's statement.

"Lan! That's...That's wonderful!" Maylu, naturally, was the first to speak.  
"Amazing!" Tory was almost at a complete loss for words.  
"This is great news, Megaman!" Yai had to agree with Maylu and Tory.  
"Does that mean our NetBattles will be more of a challenge?" Dex's one-track mind never ceased to exist.

Maylu, completely aware of the statement that Dex had just made, impaled her elbow into his side, causing a sharp pain in his abdominal region. "Dex! Be more considerate!" Maylu tried her best to whisper to command to Dex, hoping that Lan and the others would not hear her. It seemed to have worked, as they only looked at Dex and not at her.

"Sorry...It's great you remembered where we meet, Lan."

"Guys...it isn't that big of a deal, really. It's just a little thing." Lan wasn't sure what the big deal was. Then again, since his Amnesia, he couldn't make heads or tails of most of his friends' reactions to a lot of what he did.

Megaman was able to say something when a black van pulled up to the curb. The 5 children were made aware of the van's presence when it honked it's horn a few times to get their attention. They all looked at it in confusion.

"Who do you think that is," Maylu asked the rest of the group. All of them shook their heads from side to side, indicating that none of them knew who was in the van, let alone who it belonged to. Not more than a second after the group walked up to the Van, the driver-side window was rolled down, revealing the person who was controlling the vehicle.

Lan was the first of the children to get a look at the man. He didn't remember ever seeing the man before. One of the features that stuck out about him was that he was wearing some kind of weird pair of glasses.

However, the rest of the group instantly recognized him, and blurted his name out, in unison. "Mr. Famous!"

"Just Famous." Famous' customary retort to having "Mr" put in front of his name resonated in the children's ears. No matter how many times he man told them not to use "Mr" in front of his name, they never ceased to use it. The only one who ever seemed to grasp the concept was Chaud. Famous could only be thankful that someone actually listened.

"Hey, your the guy that Chaud told me about. You work with my dad, right?" Aside from the greetings, Lan was the first to make another statement. Famous looked at the boy, and somewhat tilted his head to the side. "Yes, that's right, Lan. I work with your father at SciLab, mostly as an assistant, but my primary function there is NetNavi Recovery."

Megaman was the next one to speak. "Yeah. He is completely unmatched in his knowledge of NetNavis and their coding, along with ways to repair them and get them fully functional again. Mr. Famous is an essential part of SciLab." Lan looked at his shoulder, noticing that the Navi was still standing there as a hologram. Soon after, he shifted his view back onto the man inside the van.

He was about to say something when Famous interjected.

"Lan, before you and your friends head off to school, I need to take your PET to SciLab."  
"My PET? Is there something wrong with it?"  
"I don't think so. Your father, Dr. Hikari, just wants to upgrade the software, clean up the database, and run a few tests on Megaman. It shouldn't be anything to worry about."

Maylu and the others overheard the conversation, listening to every word that was spoken between the Lan and Famous. However, Maylu wasn't able to just listen anymore after the last statement that Famous made. "How will Lan carry out stuff at school without a PET?" Maylu hasn't realized it, but she, unintentionally, blurted out what she was thinking.

Famous simply smiled and chuckled lightly. "No worries there. Lan will get a SubPET so that he can still manage school for today. Everything that needs to be done to his PET will be done by the time school lets out. When Dr. Hikari is done, He will simply bring the PET back to Lan. No trouble at all."

The children all looked at the man, impressed that such a well thought-out plan was in place to get Lan through the day, but also get his PET back up to speed and Megaman checked out. Although, while they did not say it to each other out loud, they all agreed in their minds that they wished Famous wouldn't talk so much. They were all thinking and coming to the conclusion that he could have said what needed to be said in just a sentence or two, not making an entire speech or novel out of the explanation.

Lan shifted his view back onto Megaman's hologram. His eyes seemed to ask an unspoken question, which the Navi quickly caught onto, giving the boy a smile and nod. "Don't worry about me, Lan. I'll be fine. After all, you don't want to miss school on account of me."

With a quick nod of his head and Megaman's hologram disappearing, Lan handed his PET to Famous, who, in turn, handed the boy a SubPET. He looked at the new device, noting that it was about the same size as his PET. He wasn't sure what a SubPET could do, but he could guess that it did almost everything a regular PET could do, at least, without a NetNavi present.

"There you go, Lan. I'll get this to Dr. Hikari at SciLab. Make sure you aren't late for school."  
"Alright. And thanks, Mr. famous."  
"Just Famous."

As Famous rolled up the window, a thought crossed his mind. 'Maybe this time, his Amnesia will help him remember to leave out Mr.'

~~!~~  
~~!~~

The bell for school to start sounded not too long after Lan and company walked into the classroom. Their encounter with Famous almost made them late. Luckily, Yai called in for one of her many limos to pick them all up and get them to school on time. All of the children were in agreement, both spoken and unspoken, that Yai was definitely a lifesaver to have around, even if she did have a bit of a temper problem from time to time.

As they took their seats, Lan was confused as to where he sat. "Hey, Lan. That's your desk there." Maylu was quick to notice Lan's confused state, and was the first to point him in the right direction.

Happy with knowing where to go, Lan took his seat and, along with the rest of the class, awaited the arrival of their teacher.

Not too long after, if only a few seconds later, the door to the classroom opened, and in walked Ms. Mari.

"Good morning, class!"  
"Good morning, Ms. Mari!"

The teacher continued to walk to the front of the classroom, taking her usual spot behind her desk as she set a stack of papers down. Naturally, her demeanor consisted of a smile on her face and plenty of grace as she walked. All of the students in her class could never figure out how Ms. Mari managed to always stay in such a good mood. Rarely, if ever, did they see her in a gloomy state of mind.

She looked around the classroom, noting who was present and who was not. Her facial expressed changed when she saw that Lan was in the class. Ms. Mari was at the hospital the day that Lan was released, and heard the news, as well as the doctor's orders about getting Lan back into his normal routine.

As she finished taking attendance, she knew that the rest of the students needed to be informed.

"Alright, class. Before we begin today, there is something you need to know and keep in mind for the next few weeks." The student looked at the older woman, knowing that her seemingly important statement was most likely going to get even more important.

She continued on. "As you know, Lan was in the hospital for a week after suffering a very bad hit to the head. What you don't know, is that this caused him to enter into a state of Amnesia, which means he is very forgetful, and has a lot of trouble remembering things." Several of the students looked over at Lan's desk, expressions of surprise were on them all.

And, true. The class did know what happened to the boy. His friends had been in school while he was in the hospital, and they told everyone what was going on. Lan's teachers and most of the social staff at the school also knew about the situation, as well as the administrators and counselors. They were all informed about Lan's current state, and of the doctor's orders regarding the situation.

"Now, this may sound bad, but it really isn't. According to the doctor, if we get Lan back into his normal routine, then he will start to remember things more easily, and he will get over his Amnesia. So, what I want everyone to do is make sure you go about your day the way you normally would."

All of the students nodded in acknowledgment.

Lan, on the other hand, was a little embarrassed about the situation. He had found out what Amnesia meant, and finding out that he had it was something that didn't sit well with him, in one way or another. But, to have everyone in his class know about, and told that they had to act a certain way around him, made Lan feel like he had to be treated special. He wasn't sure, but he felt like he didn't need to be treated differently from everyone else. It was really annoying to him.

He slowly sank into his seat as the rest of the class looked in his direction. Soon after, Ms. Mari started class for the day.

"Ok. Let's begin today with some algebra..."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Thank you, Famous."  
"Not a problem, Dr. Hikari."

Famous arrived at SciLab not too long after he talked with Lan and his friends. He immediately handed the PET over to Dr. Hikari, who was ready to bring the device to one of the labs and begin the maintenance he was planning on.

While walking past the lobby and into the rest of SciLab, Megaman spoke up from the PET. "Dr. Hikari...I wanted to let you know something." The older man holding the device started to walk a little slower. Normally, when Megaman needed to tell him something, it wasn't for the better, and he knew that by now.

"Sure. What is it, Megaman?"  
"Well...I think there might be something wrong with the M-Program."  
"How do you figure?"  
"I noticed that it has gotten a little harder for me to refocus myself on the NetLine and get back to the PET."  
"Hmmm...What about getting out of the PET? Any problems there?"  
"No, not really. It just seems to happen when I want to get back into it. It's like...there is some kind of delay, or lag..."

Walking even slower, Dr. Hikari tilted his head downward and grabbed in chin, more or less in a thinking manner.

"Since the M-Program wasn't properly tested, there may be some aspects of it that we don't know about yet. I was hoping that with it being installed in you, that nothing would go wrong in the long run. However, if what you tell me is true, then we have to keep you here a little bit longer than we thought in order to figure out if there really is a problem with the M-Program."

Megaman's hologram appeared on Dr. Hikari's shoulder. He looked at the older man with his emerald green eyes, trying to see if he was thinking of anything that might come to an answer that would fix almost everything. It was a rarity, but Dr. Hikari would, on occasion, come up with a solution that would fix a problem in it's entirety, with absolutely no catch. It would just be fixed, and everyone could go on with their lives, as though nothing happened.

They continued down the hallways until they came to one of the work labs, which were labs that didn't hold much significance, as they were just used for general work, such as cleaning up a PET's database or doing regular maintenance on a NetNavi. Dr. Hikari wanted to make sure that he worked on the PET first before he started to work on Megaman.

"Here we are. Laboratory #4."  
"Hmmm...you are going to work on the PET first?"  
"Yes, Megaman. Actually, I am going to be working on both you and the PET at the same time."  
"Really? How?"  
"Simple. I'll transfer you to the SciLab computer, where I will look at your programming, as well as the M-Program. While I am doing that, I will run the database cleaning and defragmenting on the PET, since I don't actually have to be present for that. So, in a sense..."

Megaman interrupted, as he knew what Dr. Hikari was going to say, and he wanted to cut a long speech short, "...you'll be killing two birds with one stone?"

The older man looked at the hologram and smiled. "Exactly. No sense in wasting time on one when you can do both at the same time." Megaman knew that he could agree with that. It was something that, every once in a while, he would try and get Lan do it...most of the time it was always something that had to do with his homework, or even the occasional NetSaver mission. However, Lan didn't seem to be the kind of person that would multitask. But, Megaman knew that if Lan tried...

'Lan...when will you be back to normal?' The Navi's thoughts shifted back to what was happening with Lan, as well as the situation that came about the day before at the NetPolice Headquarters.

Dr. Hikari noticed that Megaman's hologram looked distracted, and soon spoke up. "Are you ok, Megaman? You look a little distracted." The Navi soon after came out of his thoughts, looking at the older man, who was apparently ready to start working on the PET. Megaman noticed that the device was already inside the terminal compartment, ready to have it's work started on it.

"Oh...it's nothing. I'll transfer to the SciLab computer now."

Disappearing from Dr. Hikari's shoulder, Megaman's NetNavi data was sent from the PET into the SciLab computer system, where he found a set of diagnostic rings waiting for him. "Ok, Megaman. Just step next to the rings. You know the rest." The Navi could hear the reassurance in Dr. Hikari's voice, and figured the older man was smiling as he made his statement.

Silently nodding his head, Megaman walked over to the rings, which wrapped around him. Not too long after, the rings created a type of anti-gravity around Megaman, thereby lifting him up off his feet and slightly into the air, still in the center of the two rings.

The rings started to rotate on invisible axises as Megaman fell into sleep.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Lan and his friends were leaving the school's courtyard, their day of learning at an end until tomorrow. For Lan, it was a difficult day, trying to remember all kinds of things that he needed to know to get through the day. There was so much for him to take in, there were times when he felt as though he wouldn't make it, or he would just give up altogether. Luckily, his friends and classmates were there to help him every step of the way.

Maylu turned to Lan, the feeling of exhaustion evident in his face. "You should probably rest when you get home. You look really tired, Lan." The only response the boy could provide was covering his mouth with his hand and letting out a large yawn. The other three children simply nodded their heads in agreement.

"Yeah. I am really tired...*yawn*...Some sleep will do me good."

The shorter of the two girls spoke up. "Hey! I know. I'll get one of my limos to drive us home today. That way, Lan won't have to walk home and get even more tired."

"Hey, that's a good idea, Yai." Dex chimed in.  
"He'll be able to rest up a bit so he won't be too tired. Good thinking, Yai." Tory was next.  
"Alright. We'll all go and take Lan home." Maylu concluded, agreeing with the other three.

Lan looked at his four friends, giving each a smile. "Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it." No sooner did he and his friends start walking, a van pulled up to the curb of the street. The children were taken aback slightly by the sudden appearance, and their surprise could be seen on their faces. However, Lan and Maylu were the first to realize that it was a van that was sent from SciLab.

This guess was proven true as the window was rolled down, a sight showing that Famous was driving the vehicle. "There you are, Lan. I wanted to catch you before you got home from school today." The boy gave off a somewhat perplex looked, only to have that same look disappear as the proverbial light bulb lite up over his head. "Oh! You brought Megaman back! Is his alright? Is there anything wrong with him?"

Famous tried to hold his laugh in, but it still came out, only slightly. "No need to worry, Lan. Dr. Hikari didn't find anything seriously wrong with Megaman. In fact, he found that Megaman's NetNavi program is working perfectly. He's as fit as the day he was programmed and brought online." Famous reached out of the window of the van, handing Lan's PET to him, giving off a reassuring smile, while taking back the SubPET, as well.

"Well, I best be off. I need to get back to SciLab so your father and I can work on a few projects."  
"Ok. Thanks for the help, Mr. Famous."  
"Famous. Just Famous."

Lan simply nodded his head as Famous rolled up the SciLab van window, put the vehicle in drive, and left the children.

Excited to have his NetNavi back, Lan turned the PET on, bringing it out of Stand-by mode. He heard a few noises come from the device. They sounded familiar, but he couldn't place what they meant.

He heard another noise. This time, it came from his shoulder. Looking to his left, he saw Megaman's hologram, looking and smiling at him. "Hey, Lan. How was school today?"

"Megaman! You're ok."  
"Yeah. I'm just fine. Your dad said that nothing was wrong. And, the PET's database is cleaned up. So, it should run faster."  
"Faster? It was running fast before. How could it get faster?"  
"Giving devices proper maintenance is essential to keeping their performance at it's peak. Cleaning up a PET's database is one example."  
"Oh, I see. My PET was running fast, but not as fast as it could have been."  
"Exactly."

Lan and Megaman's conversation was cut short, as the both of them heard tires squealing against the pavement of the street. Covering their ears, the two of them looked at the street, immediately noticing a pink-colored limo had pulled to the curb of the street, had shifted into park, and had it's passenger doors open.

Taking their look off the limo, both Lan and Megaman looked in Yai's direction, who had just put down a cellphone. "Ah. They got here early this time. That's good." The other children looked at the girl, giving off nervous smiles. 'Got here early? She just called it.' All of their thoughts were almost exactly the same. However, for everyone, such a comment was common when it came to Yai. There seemed to have been nothing that money couldn't get the younger girl.

Pulling themselves out of their thoughts, the driver's door opened, a man dressed in a suit stepping out. "Miss Yai. Here is the limousine you requested. Shall we take the normal route back to the mansion?"

"Not today, Ulrick. We're going to be driving my friends home today."  
"Very well, Miss Yai. Shall I make the regular food and drinks available?"  
"Please do. An afternoon snack sounds good right about now."  
"I'll get right on it."

Yai turned to the rest of the group. "Come on, everyone. Let's go!"

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Thanks for the ride, Yai."

The girl simply smiled at Lan as he got out of the limo and stood by the still open passenger door, which was being held by the driver, Ulrick. He bowed to the boy as he closed the door, went over to the driver-side door, got in, and drove away.

Giving off another yawn, Lan walked up the path and opened the front door to his house.

"Welcome home, Lan! How was school today?"  
"It was...*yawn*...tiring. There was so much work and catching up to do."  
"Oh, I hope you didn't try to catch up on everything in one day."  
"No, I didn't. But, I did catch up on a lot of stuff, and it really drained me."

The boy lazily walked into the living room as he dropped his backpack by the front door. His mother could see that he was exhausted, deciding not to tell Lan to put his backpack upstairs in his room. She knew that if he didn't do that, he would normally forget to do his homework. 'Oh...why did I just think that?' Her last thought brought about a few bottled up emotions over the boy's accident.

Snapping herself out of her thoughts, Mrs. Hikari looked to see that Megaman was trying to wake Lan up, above all things. 'I guess he really is tired.'

"Lan, wake up. You don't want to be asleep when dinner is ready."  
"But, Megaman...I'm so tired...and I wasn't sleeping. I was just...resting my eyes."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Megaman. Lan's had a hard day. We should let him sleep a little bit." She walked out of the kitchen and into the Living Room, looking directly at Megaman's hologram, then back to Lan, who was starting to fall asleep again. Looking back at Megaman, she took her index finger and motioned for the Navi's hologram to follow her.

"Wake him up again, and see if you can get him upstairs."  
"Upstairs? To his bedroom?"  
"Yeah. That way, I won't wake him if I make too much noise. And, his bed is more comfortable than the couch."  
"But, what about his dinner?"  
"Don't worry about that. It won't be ready for another few hours. He can take a short nap until them."  
"Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. He was really tired on his way home in Yai's limo."

Nodding her head, Mrs. Hikari went back into the kitchen, while Megaman went back over to Lan, who had completely nodded off on the couch. 'He really is tired. I guess I better try and wake him up.' Trying to think of a way to wake Lan up was something that would normally come naturally to the Navi, but Megaman wasn't sure if his normal methods would work, or if they would scare the boy more than help him wake up.

'Well, here goes nothing.'

"Lan. Wake up. Let's get you to bed."  
Lan didn't answer.  
"Come on, Lan. It will be more comfortable for you."  
Still no answer.  
"Please, Lan. Wake up!"

This time, Megaman shouted a little, which seemed to jar Lan out of his state of sleep. His eyes, more or less, popped up, and he also fell off the couch and onto the floor. "Megaman...I'm awake. You don't have to...*yawn*...yell." The Navi snickered to himself, seeing that his NetOp's reaction was just like...

His smile quickly faded, as his own memories about Lan before the accident came into his mind. Lan's constant protests to the Navi's methods of waking him up was something that Megaman liked...and, truthfully, missed.

"Megaman...what were you saying again?"

Lan's voice brought the Navi out of his thoughts. "Oh. You should go upstairs to your room and take a nap there. Dinner won't be ready for a few hours. So, you can rest up then." Megaman was content with his suggestion to Lan, but still waited for the boy to make some kind of protest.

"Yeah. That is probably a...*yawn*...good idea." Even though he still felt tired, Lan walked over to the door, where he dropped his backpack, and picked it up. Megaman didn't think much of it, until he realized that no one had to remind him that he was suppose to bring his backpack upstairs when he got home.

Immediately, Megaman had to say something. "Lan...did you remember to grab your backpack on your own?" The Navi looked at his NetOp, hoping that the correct response would be given...the response that Megaman was hoping to hear.

And, it came to pass.

"Well, yeah. Mom always tells me to bring it up to my room after school."

Megaman looked at Mrs. Hikari, who was preparing dinner, but still listening to their conversation at the same time. The statement Lan had made caused her to turn in his direction, with a look of surprise on her face. "But, Lan...I never told you about that after you got out of the hospital."

Both Megaman and Mrs. Hikari looked at each other, fully aware of what was going on. It was completely apparent to both of them that Lan had remembered something that he was told about numerous times before the accident.

However, it would be his mother and not Megaman that would be the most vocal this time. "Oh, Lan! You remembered!" The older woman ran over to his son, putting him in a warm and tender embrace. Lan, who was not fully aware of what was going to happen, didn't know how to react to the situation. Luckily, his mind was able to pick up on it, figuring out that he was being hugged.

"It isn't that big a deal, Mom."  
"Of course it is, Lan! Remembering anything right now is a big deal!"

He didn't quite know how to respond to his mother's comment. However, he figured that accepting the hug and giving her a smile was all that was needed.

Finally composing herself, Mrs. Hikari gave her son a smile, made her way back into the kitchen, and continued to prepare dinner. Lan, finally feeling that he could fall asleep at any moment, picked his backpack up, which he had dropped when his mother came over to hug him, walked up the stairs, and went into his bedroom. Not knowing exactly where to put it, Lan lazily tossed the book-bag to the left side of his desk.

"Hey, Lan."  
"Yeah, Megaman?"

"Well, I..." The Navi wasn't sure how to go on with his statement. He wanted to tell Lan everything about them. It was almost killing him on the inside that he couldn't tell the boy. Ever since earlier that day, Megaman wanted to tell Lan about their relationship, and how it was more than just friends. But, He knew that he couldn't tell Lan...not yet, anyway. And, if things actually went the way Megaman was hoping for, Lan would remember on his own.

Snapping out of thoughts, remembering that he still didn't finish his statement, Megaman continued. "Well, I just wanted to say 'sleep well,' and I'll wake you up when dinner is ready."

"Ok. Thanks...*yawn*...Megaman."  
"Good night, Lan. Sleep tight."  
"Night, Megaman."

The Navi didn't say anything else as he watched his NetOp fall fast asleep on the bed.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

_**I know that baby, you tried  
To find me somewhere inside of you  
But you know you can't lie  
Girl, you can't hide the truth  
Sometimes two hearts  
Just can't dance to the same beat  
So I'll pack up my things  
And I'll take what remains of me**_

~~!~~  
~~!~~

**-Tuesday-**

"You, Roll, and the others are going to NetCity today?"

Lan was sitting in his classroom during lunch. Megaman's hologram was sitting on his desk, explaining what he and his Navi friends had planned out for the day.

"Yeah. We are going to see some battles at the Net Coliseum, and probably hang out for a while."  
"Sounds like you are going to have a lot of fun."  
"I hope so. It's been a while since I went to NetCity"  
"Well, don't let me hold you down. Go and have fun, Megaman."  
"Thanks, Lan. I will."

Megaman's hologram disappeared from Lan's desk. The boy knew what to do, as he jacked Megaman into his desk, which the Navi could then use as a means to get to the school's main computer and make his way to NetCity.

Before heading off, he met up with the rest of his NetNavi friends.

"Hey, Megaman! Ready to go?" Roll was there to greet the other Navi, as well as Iceman, Glide, and Gutsman. They were all gathered in their usual spot, getting themselves ready for their trip to NetCity and planning out their visit. "Yeah. I'm ready to go when you guys are."

"But, Megaman. Do you think Lan will be ok without you?" Iceman stated his worry. Megaman, however, was getting more and more confident in Lan's abilities to manage himself at this point. "He should be fine. After all, he did go all of yesterday without me. So, another day shouldn't be too much of a problem. And, if he needs me, I can always return to my PET."

"I do say, Megaman. That is a good idea. Very well thought out." Glide chimed in with his own opinion before quickly changing the subject. "So, where shall our visit take us today?"

"Gutsman wants to see some NetBattles, guts guts." Gutsman put his suggestion in.  
"We can just go for a nice walk, maybe shop a little." Roll made her opinion heard.  
"What about going to the Cyber Beach? That's always fun." Iceman was the last to speak.

They all sounded like good ideas. And, they all silently agreed that they would do them all, except they weren't sure which order they should go. They wanted to do them in an order that would get them all done in the least amount of time, since school was going to be letting out in a few hours for their NetOps.

"Hey, I know!" Megaman's blurting out caught the attention of the other Navis around him. They all looked in his direction, wondering what he was talking about.

"We can go to the Coliseum to watch some battles, then go to the beach. On our way to the beach, we can do our walk, and get a little shopping done. It's like killing two birds with one stone."

"Hey, that's a good idea!" Roll chimed in first, happy with the suggestion.  
"Indeed. It is a good idea." Glide was next to speak, as happy as Roll was.  
"Gutsman approves, guts, guts." While still trying to some some superiority, Gutsman agreed.  
"Cool idea, Megaman." Iceman was last, but just as excited and happy as the rest.

All five Navis were in agreement on the plan, proceeding to the link in the school's mainframe to transfer to the NetCity computer system.

As they walked towards the computer's exit link, there were many other NetNavis in the area. Many of these Navis were those of the teachers and faculty. They were walking around and, basically, making sure that programs were running normally for classroom lessons, planning new lessons, grading electronic homework, and doing many other tasks. There was a designated area in this section of the mainframe's Cyberworld where the teacher would work, and another area where student NetNavis would be able to hang out, as well as link out to the rest of the Net.

Each of the five Navis entered the link, applied the proper routing protocol, and thereby were transported through the Net to NetCity. It was a routing path that all of the NetNavis were use to, and they were always happen when they got to use it.

Soon after, the link disappeared, and the five were standing on a street in NetCity.

"Ah. It's great to be in NetCity again," Megaman exclaimed. It has been a week or 2 since he was last in NetCity. He was normally there almost everyday. However, after his and Lan's last encounter with Cannonman, he hadn't been there for a week and a half. "Alright, then. Shall we make our way to the Coliseum?" Glide was ready to get the day's events underway.

The other four Navis nodded their heads in agreement and started walking.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Those were great battles, guts, guts." Gutsman was content with the NetBattles he had seen at the Coliseum. There were many familiar faces there battling it out, most notable, and surprising of all, was Protoman, who battled it out with Whaleman, utterly defeating him in the process.

While walking, Megaman couldn't help but think about how Lan was doing. Even if he wasn't going to admit it, he was a little worried as to how the boy would do without him. The Navi knew that Lan would have a few problems as the day progressed, but he was confident enough to hope that the boy would be able to work around and overcome them. That, and Megaman knew that Lan's friends would be there to help him if the need came up.

Putting his doubts out of his mind, Megaman concentrated on enjoying the time he was having.

"Hey! Let's stop at Higsby's. We can see Numberman." Roll spoke to the group, who all appeared to be in agreement with the pink-colored NetNavi. "Yeah. That sounds like a good idea." Megaman agreed.

The group continued to walk down the streets of NetCity, taking in the sights, as well as the various skyscrapers, shops, businesses, and a host of other functions. Since it's conception only a year ago, NetCity had become just as important in linking businesses and people as the invention of PETs and NetNavis.

The group was finally close to Higsby's Chip Shop, only several stores away, actually. "There's Higsby's. And, it looks open. Numberman must be working," Roll observed. The other Navis nodded their heads in agreement and continued on their walk. However, they were not exactly the only ones heading in that direction.

"Megaman. There you are." All of the Navis in the group, including Megaman, turned around to see the source of the voice. It was very familiar, and all of them had heard the voice before. All of their eyes were set on Protoman, who was standing behind the group, fairly close to them, actually.

"Protoman! What are you doing here?" Megaman, who was the most surprised of all, was the first one to speak out of the group. The others simply looked at the red armor-clad NetNavi, who's facial expression always seemed to be the same; indifferent.

"Hey, Protoman! That was the great battle." Iceman stated.  
"You made it look so easy, Protoman." Roll was the next to speak.  
"And, you still showed great sportsmanship." Glide spoke.

Gutsman, however, wasn't sure what to say. He could have just said what the other three did, but he decided to just keep it simple. "Protoman did a great job, guts guts." That was the only thing that came to the hulking NetNavi's mind.

"Thanks for your words. Now, if you will excuse me, Megaman and I need to talk in private." The red Navi stared at the group, waiting for them to continue on their way while Megaman stayed behind. They were all use to that stare of his. Almost all the time when they would see Protoman, his facial expression would never change.

All of the Navis, save for Megaman nodded their heads and went inside Higsby's Chip Shop, where they saw Numberman working and started up a conversation. Megaman wished he could have been inside with them, hoping that he would be able to just completely avoid Protoman altogether. After what happened at the NetPolice Headquarters, Megaman didn't feel like dealing with Protoman, Chaud, or anyone else from the NetPolice, including Commissioner Keifer.

An awkward silence fell between the two of them. The tension in the air could be felt by both Navis. It finally got to the point where Megaman couldn't take it any longer, giving the ice-breaking first comment. "So...you wanted to talk?"

"I did. I wanted to ask about Lan."  
"What do you want to know?"  
"Just the basics, such as how he is doing."  
"I'll let you know if anything important happens."

Megaman didn't want to, but his last statement was drenched in resentment. He knew that Protoman had nothing to do with the argument him and Manuela got into a few days ago. He knew that Protoman was only trying to look out for Lan. He knew all those things. However, he also knew that Protoman was Chaud's NetNavi, and Megaman's mind and regard for the other Navi turned to "guilt by association."

Protoman looked hard at Megaman, staring at the other Navi's face. "Look, Megaman. I didn't have any part in the decision Chaud and Manuela made about Lan being a NetSaver. I wasn't even..." Megaman quickly interrupted Protoman.

"Protoman. Just...don't say anything else. I don't want to deal with that right now."  
"Megaman...you know I respect Lan as a NetSaver. If it were up to me, I wouldn't remove him at all."  
"Then why didn't you tell Chaud that?"  
"Because he never was one for taking my opinion on situations unless it was a NetBattle. You know that."

Megaman sighed, hanging his head. "You know, Protoman. I have learned a lot from you. Battle tactics, taking situations more seriously, a lot of things." He raised his head up, a very stern and commanding look on his face, a look that the other Navi had never seen before. The look actually took him aback a little, more so from the surprise that Megaman was actually capable of even being commanding or stern rather than from the surprise of being lecture by another NetNavi.

Megaman continued to speak. "When Lan doesn't know what to do, or even when he does know, I still give my opinion, whether he wants it or not. Time and again, he listens, and things turn out for the best." Protoman was simply staring at the blue-armored NetNavi in front of him, trying to hold back whatever emotions were threatening to spill out.

"Maybe it is time that you learned something from me. Maybe it is time you starting voicing your opinions to Chaud, whether he wants to hear them or not."

Whether Protoman wanted to admit it or not, Megaman was right. There were many times when Protoman wanted to voice his opinion to his NetOp, but he was trained not to, an old habit that was drilled into him back before the first N1 Grand Prix. In those days, at least to him, the notion of a NetNavi voicing an opinion to their NetOp was very...tactless. That was something that Chaud drilled into Protoman's head, and it was a habit that stuck with him.

The look on the red-armored NetNavi did not change. "Either way, I just want you to know that if you need to talk to me about anything, just talk. Keep in mind this isn't something I offer to any NetNavi. So, I suggest to take advantage of it."

With that, Protoman disappeared from sight, obviously logging out of NetCity and heading back to Chaud's PET.

Megaman sighed and lowered his head again. 'This is just so much...' The Navi was feeling completely overwhelmed by everything that was happening. Between Lan getting Amnesia, the hassle of helping Lan remember his past, and the situation with the NetPolice, Megaman was feeling too overwhelmed, not to mention that he still couldn't let Lan know about the M-Program. He was even beginning to think that something was going to give soon...

A familiar noise was heard by the Navi. He looked around to see that Lan had opened a video link. "Hey, Megaman."

"Oh, Hi Lan. How is school going?"  
"It's lunch right now."  
"Have you had any trouble today?"  
"Actually, it's been going pretty smooth. Maylu and the others have helped me out a lot."  
"That's great!"  
"It's been a long day. I just hope it will be over soon."

Megaman smiled at Lan though the link. "Don't worry about it. Every school day seems long. It's just something you will get use to." The two of them stared at each other, both showing content looks on their faces. Megaman was happy that Lan was having an easy time with school today, and Lan was happy that Megaman was at ease over everything that seemed to have happened.

However, as Megaman look as though he was ready to say goodbye and let Lan eat his lunch, the boy kept on staring. The look on Lan's face showed the Navi that there was still something on his mind, and it was making Megaman curious as to what it was.

Finally, after several moments of silence between the two, Lan finally spoke. "Hey, Megaman. Is Roll or anything else around?" The Navi was a bit intrigued as to why Lan would ask where they were. However, it may have just been concern of some kind. "They are in Higsby's Chip Shop here in NetCity. Why do you ask, Lan?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about something...privately."  
"Sure. You can talk to me about anything."  
"You're sure that you are alone? It's kind of embarrassing."

Knowing that Lan wouldn't talk about something embarrassing if someone else was around, Megaman nodded his head and walked into a small alcove on the street, where he knew no one would be able to hear them talk. "Alright. No one is around. So, what did you want to talk about?"

Lan's face started to grow a little red, but not quite to the point where he was completely embarrassed. "Well...I wanted to ask you something. What's my...relationship with my friends?"

Megaman had a perplexed look on his face. "Well...they are your friends. Do you need to know something more?" The boy tried his best to keep his face as straight as possible, hoping to control the blushing on his cheeks.

"I mean...what is my relationship with each person?"  
"Lan? Oh...you mean what they mean to you, right?"  
"Yeah. That's it."

Megaman thought for a moment, trying to recall how everyone in Lan's group got to know the others.

"Well, you have known Maylu since you and her were younger, and have been close friends ever since. Dex use to be, and he still thinks he is, your greatest rival. Yai always helps you out when you need it, and doing so shows how much of a true friend she is. And, Tory is always there to give you any advise you need when you need it."

Lan looked at his NetNavi. "So, they are all special in their own way?" Megaman looked back at the boy through the video link. He wasn't really surprised that Lan came up with something that, as the Navi had come to expect that he would. "Exactly, Lan. Each one of your friends helps you in their own way, and that is why they are all important to you."

"Is there anyone that is...more than just...special to me?" Megaman was thrown aback by Lan's question. He actually, for a NetNavi that could read his NetOp like an open book, didn't know what Lan was referring to. In all honesty, he didn't know what the boy was talking about. 'Is this what he is embarrassed of?' Megaman's mind had a few ideas, but he couldn't figure out which idea was the one that would be what Lan was embarrassed about.

"More than special? Such as...?"  
"Well...it has to do with Maylu, actually."

"With Maylu?" Now, things are starting to veer towards the "making sense" conclusion. Megaman wasn't a hundred percent sure as to where this conversation was going, but given the question that Lan was presenting, the Navi could make an educated guess...and would probably be right.

Going against his better judgment, Megaman asked the question he could only guess would piece together everything. "What about Maylu did you want to know?" After hearing the question, Lan slowly looked away from the monitor of his PET, tilting his head to the side and hiding half of his face from the Navi on the other end of the communication. Megaman could see that Lan was started to get even more embarrassed about the situation, as the boy's face was growing redder with embarrassment by the second.

"Well, I...I..." Lan didn't know how to say it. The tension building up inside him to know the truth was starting to become too much. And, just like he would before he got Amnesia, Lan finally just blurted out what was on his mind. "Were Maylu and I boyfriend-girlfriend?"

There. He said it. It was the question that had been bugging him since he started school that day. Lan knew that he couldn't ask Maylu, seeing that he thought she might take offense to the fact that, if they were boyfriend-girlfriend, he didn't remember it. So, his only hope was to ask the only other person who had been helping him since he left the hospital several days ago; Megaman.

However, Megaman froze. He wasn't sure how to answer the question. Sure, if he told Lan the truth and said that him and Maylu were not boyfriend-girlfriend, it wouldn't have been a heavy burden on his conscience. However, if he did tell that, Lan's next question might have been if he was in a relationship with anyone at all. Then, Megaman would have to lie about that, which was something the Navi was not fond of to begin with. He hated lying. Whenever he did lie, it always weighed heavily on his mind and conscience.

Luckily for the Navi, his logical side still had some dominion in him, and he just went with what he thought was the best answer. "Ummm...well...not really, no. You and Maylu weren't boyfriend-girlfriend before the accident. Sorry, Lan."

"Oh..." Lan looked back at the PET's monitor, and Megaman could see the dejection in the boy's eyes. He really didn't want to tell Lan the truth if it was going to make him feel the way he was now, but he couldn't just tell a lie without feeling like he just betrayed his best friend.

"Well...what does Maylu like?"  
"Lan?"  
"I'm just curious. Do you know what she likes?"  
"Well...she likes dogs, for starters. Oh, and she is really into the piano. She is also into fashion. She isn't into NetBattling too much, but she is good at it."  
"Wow. Sounds like she is into a lot of things."  
"I guess you can say that. So, why did you want to know?"

Lan had hoped that Megaman wouldn't ask that question. He just wanted to get the information he wanted and hoped that the Navi would drop the subject after he said what needed to be said. However, it wasn't that simple, apparently. Lan was just too embarrassed to keep asking Megaman questions or answering the Navi's own questions.

Still, he had to answer the question, or else Megaman might figure out something was up. So, just like most times when he is under pressure, Lan blurted out what was on his mind.

"Well, I was going to ask Maylu...out on a date this Friday."

Date...date...DATE? Megaman couldn't believe the words that just came out of Lan's mouth. He could have imagined Lan asking Maylu out on a date about a year ago, before the battle with Dr. Regal, but now, of all times?

The words came as a stab in Megaman's heart. He still loved Lan with every fiber of his cyber and living being. He couldn't imagine loosing Lan to someone else. It was just something that the Navi couldn't fathom. And, considering the stress from everything that has been going on, from Lan's accident to his argument with Chaud and Manuela, the hope that Megaman held inside him, the hope that Lan would remember that they were a couple, was one of the only driving forces left for the Navi.

And now...now, Lan was starting to have feelings for Maylu. And, top it all off, he wanted to ask her out on a date. A DATE. And, it was suppose to be this coming Friday.

"Megaman...are you ok?"

The Navi snapped out of his thoughts, and he didn't realize it, but he facial expression still showed signs of shock and awe. The amount of weight Lan's statement had placed on Megaman was enough to almost completely devastate him.

"Oh...I'm...fine..."  
"Are you sure? You don't look too good."  
"It's nothing...really. No need to worry, Lan."

Lan stared at Megaman though the video link. Whether or not the Navi wanted Lan to see it, the boy could tell that there was a certain degree of worry in Megaman's eyes and face. He was no mind reader, but he could tell that there was something on the Navi's mind, and, for whatever reason he had, did not feel like sharing such thoughts with his NetOp. Needless to say, this fact annoyed Lan a little. He was told by Megaman that they could talk about anything that Lan needed to talk about. So, he could only wonder if Megaman's mind and thoughts were off-limits.

_-bing, bing, bing, bing-_

"Oh...it sounds like lunch is over, Megaman."  
"Yeah. You should probably get back to class."  
"I'll talk to you later, Megaman."  
"Ok, Lan."

The boy closed the video link, disappearing from the sight of the Navi. Megaman wasn't sure what to think anymore. Between the accident, his fight with Chaud and Manuela, and the stress of Lan's recovery, Megaman couldn't keep a focused mind on what was even in front of him, let alone anything else.

Not too much longer after his communication was cut short, Megaman heard Roll's voice. "Hey, Megaman. Are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine, Roll. Just thinking about things."  
"What did Protoman want to talk to you about."  
"Ummm...nothing, really. He just wanted to know how Lan was doing and when he could start his duties as a NetSaver again."

Another lie. Megaman hated lying. It was something that was either programmed into him, or something that he developed in his conscience.

"Oh, I see."  
"Yeah. Just the normal Protoman stuff."  
"Well, the others and I are ready to head to the beach."  
"Alright. Let's go."

With feigned interest, Megaman tried to set his mind straight as he followed Roll.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Well, I'll see you guys later. I had a great time!"

Roll was happy with the way things played out in NetCity. After the NetBattles, the shopping, and the fun at the beach, she was extremely content with the way the day went.

"Bye, Roll, everyone. See you tomorrow." Iceman said his goodbye.  
"Ohh. Gutsman wants to do this again, guts." Gutsman chose his own words for goodbye.  
"I do agree. This has been a terrific day." Glide was the last to speak.

"Yeah...It was nice to just get out and do stuff. Thanks for having me come along, guys." Megaman was happy that everything went well. Once at the beach, he was able to put his mind to rest a little about everything that had happened, especially the news about Lan wanting to ask Maylu out on a date. Above all else, that was the one thing that weighed so heavily on the Navi that he felt as though he wanted to just be put into a sort of hibernation until everything was over.

However, he still had his logical side with him, making him realize that such a thing would only serve to complicate his life in the long run.

"Don't mention it, Megaman. It's always great having everyone around to do stuff with." Roll seemed to still be happy after the day's events. Megaman nodded at Roll, who simply smiled back.

"I guess I should be going, as well. Bye, Megaman!"

The blue Navi looked at all of his friends; Roll, Glide, Gutsman, and Iceman, as they all logged out. Megaman was now alone, thinking that he should also logout, since Lan was probably going to be out of school for the day soon. And, he would probably be asking Maylu out on their...

...date...

The word resonated in Megaman's mind. The thoughts, weight, and dejection came back into his soul has he remembered what Lan was planning on doing. 'Yeah...asking Maylu out on a day...' The Navi, no matter how much he wanted to, couldn't put the thoughts and emotions out of his mind. It was just something that he knew, deep down in his soul and heart, that they would be with him for a long time...at least, until he finally accepted whatever path Lan choose when it came to love...even if it meant that it wasn't the Navi.

He slowly started to walk down the street, thinking of what he could say to Lan before the day was finally over, more or less about stuff he could possibly...suggest when it came to Lan's date with Maylu.

As much as he didn't want to give advise on how Lan should be on his date, where to go, what movies to see, what food to eat...he knew that he couldn't be selfish.

If going on a date was what Lan wanted, and it would make him happy, then Megaman would help.

Suddenly, a loud explosion was heard by the Navi. He was immediately jarred out of his thoughtful state and started to look around the area. 'What happened? Is NetCity under attack,' Megaman thought, running towards the direction where he thought the explosion came from.

"Ahh! Run away!"  
"Save yourselves!"  
"The city is being attacked!"

Many different NetNavis were running in the opposite direction that Megaman was. There were all screaming, almost at the top of their lungs, about NetCity being under attack. Megaman wasn't sure if this was the work of some stray NetNavi or if the UnderNet Mafia was behind it.

Either way, he knew that he had to make his way over to the source of the explosion.

Without realizing where he was going, Megaman rammed into another NetNavi, a generic one, to be exact.

"What are you doing? You are going the wrong way, man!"  
"Calm down. What is happening?"  
"There is some crazed NetNavi blasting away at others!"  
"Do you know what his name is, or where he came from?"  
"How should I know? I just want to save my data!"

Without another word, the generic NetNavi got up and ran around Megaman, disappearing from sight, most likely logging out before anything else happened to him.

Getting back on his feet, Megaman continued to run in the opposite direction as every Navi that passed him, making sure that, this time, he didn't run into anyone else. The last thing that he needed no was to be delayed even more. And, given the answers that he got from the NetNavi that ran into him, he knew that everyone else was most likely going to be giving him the same answers as the first NetNavi did.

"Woah..."

Megaman finally arrived on scene, only to have his sight get greeted by the visual of a large cloud composed of who knew what. All he could do was stare at the cloud as it seemed to start and get thinner, which he could only help was a good thing. The odd part about the cloud, was that it had several different colors in it. It was something that Megaman had not seen before, and it made the Navi worry too much for his taste.

Slowly, but steadily, the cloud became less dense as it started to clear up. Megaman focused his vision on it, and, to his surprise, was able to make out a silhouette of someone on the inside.

Without warning, Megaman heard the figure speak.

"So, we finally met, Megaman."  
"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, seeing as you know me, but I don't know you."  
"Ahh, you are correct. How rude of me. I am Eclipse, Head Intelligence Officer of the UnderNet Mafia."  
"Did you just say the UnderNet Mafia?"

As the cloud completely disappeared from sight, Eclipse became perfectly visible to Megaman. He saw that the NetNavi standing in the center of where the cloud use to be, his armor, or rather, lack thereof, somewhat puzzled Megaman. However, Eclipse was not entirely without anything on.

His was wearing what appeared to be very long black shorts, going just past his knees and halfway down the rest of his leg. His feet had folded black boots, almost like that of a pirate. He also had on long gloves, just as long as Megaman's were, and they too, were colored black. His chest was covered in a black sleeve-less tunic, made in such a fashion that it looked like a very short robe. Over his face and neck was a mask that seemed to wrap about his head entirely, leaving only his eyes and hair visible.

While Megaman was inspecting the UnderNet agent, Eclipse simply laughed at the other Navi's comment. "Yes, I did. It's my job to gather intelligence and then pass that along to the rest of my group. Needless to say, it was me who tipped off Blademan on what you looked like in the real world." Megaman's eyes widened, remembering the fight with Blademan, and how he knew what Megaman looked like without his Navi suit.

"Well, getting back on topic, I am not just an intelligence agent. I also am formidable on the field of battle, as I am about to demonstrate." Without warning, Eclipse charged at Megaman with almost blazing speed, catching him off guard and striking the blue Navi in the chest with his fist.

Megaman cried out from the pain of the impact, which also sent him several feet back from where he was standing. He landed on his back, but not as hard as Megaman thought he would. He could only be thankful that the punch didn't do as much damage as he thought it would based on how fast Eclipse moved.

"Hey...You're pretty good. I'll give you that."  
"You sure do have manners, Megaman. I can respect that."

Without anymore hesitation, Eclipse smiled, unexpectedly charging forward again to make another assault on Megaman. However, this time was different. The Navi didn't let his guard down, and he was able to block Eclipse's attack with his deployed MegaBuster. Luckily, the MegaBuster's armor coating was strong enough to withstand the blow without any damage.

Taking advantage of the situation, Megaman bent down and leaned to his right side, attempting to use his left foot to kick his enemy. Fate would seem to have been on his side as his left foot made contact with Eclipse's upper chest, sending a reasonable amount of force into him, causing almost as much pain as he caused Megaman.

A good distraction. Eclipse fell to the ground trying to ward off and get his pain under control. However, Megaman wasn't going to wait around for that. Taking advantage of the distraction in his opponent, he jumped to the top of small building nearby, putting some distance between him and Eclipse. He was hoping to buy some time to call for help.

And, he knew just who to call.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Hey, Maylu. Wait up!"

Lan was skating at a quick pace, trying to catch up to her before they both got home. He still needed to ask Maylu his question, and he didn't want to put it off too long because, if he procrastinated too long, she might make plans for Friday, and then he would be out of luck.

"Oh, hey Lan. What's up?"  
"Well, I...wanted to ask you something."  
"Really? Well, ask away."

Lan's face started to turn a little red, as he was a little embarrassed about asking Maylu out on a date, and, for all he knew, she was the first girl he ever asked out on a date. Needless to say, the situation was a little stressing at the moment. "Maylu...umm...are you doing anything Friday after school?" Lan tried to keep his face from blushing profusely. He didn't want the girl to think he was shy. He wanted to be confident in his question, although even he could see and hear that he was not confident at all.

"Well, I have a piano lesson right after school, but I am free in the evening."  
"That's great! I mean...that's great."  
"Was there something else you wanted to ask me, Lan?"

"Well...yeah, there is. I was wondering if..." Could he finish his sentence? Did he have the courage and fortitude to complete his statement and ask Maylu out on the date? Even he wasn't sure. For all he knew, he could have asked her sometime before and got rejected. If that was the case, he would be walking right into another rejection.

However, he already started to talk, and he had to finish it. "...if you wanted to go out Friday night." Ok. There we go. Everything is out in the open. 'You asked the question. Everything's ok...right?' Lan's mind was running in circles. He couldn't concentrate on one thought at a time, and it was starting to make things harder than they already were. And, to make matters worse, as he finished his sentence, he lost control over his cheeks, causing him to start blushing profusely.

But, fortune would be on Lan's side as Maylu didn't notice he was blushing. Instead, he looked at her and saw that here eyes were lit up like tiny Christmas lights. "You mean...you want to go out on a...date?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. Just..." Now, things were going bad. Lan was panicking, and that wasn't a good thing. He was saying stuff that he didn't mean to be saying, and saying such things could potentially ruin the entire conversation. He had to think quickly on his feet. "...ok. Yeah. I am asking you out on a...date."

"Oh, Lan. That is so sweet of you! So, where are we going?"

Where were they going? Lan hadn't thought that far ahead yet. He just wanted to ask Maylu first and then plan everything later. Now, his "plan," using the term loosely, required altering thanks to an unexpected question from the girl standing in front of him.

Lan was about to say something basic, like the movies, when he heard his PET beeping. Somewhat frowning a bit, Lan took the PET out of it's holder on his shoulder and held the screen up to his face.

"Lan! I need help!"

The boy's expression immediately changed from a slight frown to one of surprise and shock, not to mention worry, given that his NetNavi just asked for help, almost screaming in the process.

"Megaman. What's wrong?"  
"NetCity is under attack by a NetNavi from the UnderNet Mafia."  
"What's the UnderNet Mafia?"  
"It's an organization that wants to take over the world. I can't explain more. I need some help!"  
"Right. I'm on my way."

Lan turned to Maylu, who had heard every little detail of their conversation. The look on her face was one of concern for her friend and his NetNavi, knowing full well that it was time for the both of them to exercise their duties as NetSavers in order to save NetCity.

"Sorry, Maylu. But, I have to go."  
"Don't worry, Lan. You need to help Megaman."  
"Thanks, Maylu. I'll catch you later!"

The boy quickly put his skates on and went off towards what he thought was the closest place to find somewhere to jack-in. Maylu wanted to help Lan as much as she could, but she knew that he couldn't do much to help. Without any type of commission from the NetSaver to use BattleChips in NetCity, there wasn't much damage Roll's default attacks could do to whoever was putting the cyber-ized city under siege.

All she could do way hope that the both of them would be alright.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Don't think running will save you, Megaman. Solar Darkness!"

Eclipse's words spawned what looked to be a large sphere in the sky. It was large enough to have been the size of the Earth's moon. And, it started moving in a way that began to block out the light from NetCity's artificial sky.

Megaman looked up at the impending eclipse, and looked at his adversary. "Just what you are planning to do, Eclipse?" The other NetNavi simply laughed, looking on while the moon-sized sphere starting to fulling create an eclipse.

As the sphere got into position, a beam of darkness came down from the moon, enveloping Megaman in the process. "Ahhh!" The blue Navi screamed out in pain, the beam from the eclipse causing a lot of stress on his data structure. But, there was also something more that the darkness seemed to be doing. As Megaman felt more pain, he also felt his body becoming more and more heavy. He felt his chest and arms become so heavy, that he was about to collapse under his own weight.

He fell to his knees and only had his arms supporting the rest of his body. Eclipse looked on and laughed some more. "Do you like this attack of mine? Not only does it disrupt your data over time, but it also drains your strength. It is quite the strong attack for such a natural occurrence in the human world." Megaman lifted his head up, just enough to see Eclipse standing in front of him.

"I...can't stay...up..."  
"Of course you can't. That's the whole point."  
"Lan...where are...you..."

Eclipse was about to deliver a swift kick into Megaman's head...

"LifeAura, BattleChip in. Download!"

Within an instant, Megaman was surrounded by the glow of the LifeAura BattleChip, sending Eclipse back several yards, as well as protecting Megaman from the effects of the Solar Darkness attack that was affecting him. Slowly, but surely, Megaman started to regain his strength in his legs, arms, and all over the rest of his body. The pain from the attack was also disappearing as the protection from the LifeAura remained constant.

Eclipse got up from the ground where the feedback from the LifeAura has sent him. He looked over at Megaman, still seeing the aura glowing brightly. "So, your NetOp has come to your aid. How rude. This was just a battle between you and me, Megaman."

"Lan and I are part of a team. If you fight one of us, you fight us both."  
"Teamwork is for those who cannot do their tasks on their own. You know that as well as I do."  
"You're wrong, Eclipse. Teamwork is where real power comes from. You know THAT as well as I do."  
"Perhaps you are right, Megaman..."

Eclipse paused in the middle of his sentence. Megaman could see the other Navi starting to sport a grin across his face. He wasn't sure what Eclipse was planning, but from what Megaman could judge from the grin on his face, it wasn't something that was going to make this battle any easier. Not by a long shot.

"...but, when a team member goes down, the power is severed!"

Lan was watching the battle from the PET's holographic pop-up screen. "Megaman. Stay on your toes. I didn't like the sound of that last comment."

"Don't worry, Lan. We can do this."  
"You're right. Samurai Sword, BattleChip in. Download!"

Without any warning, Megaman started a full-frontal assault on Eclipse, even before the sword was even done downloading. Eclipse, who was not fully prepared for such an onslaught, could do nothing more than take up a defensive position until the right time came for him to counterattack. However, given the shear volume of Megaman's attacks, Eclipse knew that his window of opportunity to make an effective counterattack wasn't going to be very big. He had to time it just right if he wanted to make sure that Megaman sustained the highest amount of damage, making the fight a lot easier in the long run.

Dodge after dodge, parry after parry, Eclipse could do nothing but keep his defensive position in tact. However, he noticed the pattern in the attacks, and saw just the right time to make his move.

"What's wrong, Eclipse? Can't fight back during a fair match?" Megaman was starting to grow confident in his and Lan's fighting abilities, so much that he even spoke during his onslaught. Unfortunately, to Megaman's dismay, Eclipse was also focused enough to speak during the assault. "You call this a fair fight? It's far from it. If you want a fair fight, I would be happy to oblige!"

As swift as his movements, Eclipse got his leg in-between Megaman's arm, using his knee to impact the blue Navi's stomach.

"Uhhh!" Megaman nearly doubled-over. The force from the impact caused him to involuntarily stop his attacks and use both of his hands to clinch his stomach. However, this turned out to not be a good idea, as he was then sent flying backwards from what turned out to be a charging kick from his opponent. Megaman screamed out in pain from the kick, and again when he landed on his back and slid several feet.

"Megaman! Are you ok?"  
"I'm...fine, Lan."  
"Here. I'll send you something else."

Lan looked at his armory of BattleChips, many of them he remembered thanks to Megaman's help before he fought Dex for the second time a few days ago. But, he wasn't quick enough in deciding on a BattleChip to use.

"I don't think so! Megaman wants a fair fight. So, I will be the gentlemen I am and grant his request," Eclipse stated as he tossed his hands into the air, concentrating what would soon, at least, in his perspective, be the final addition to the battle, and ensure his victory. "Behold, the power of space itself. Enshrouding Nebula!"

All around Megaman and Eclipse, all kinds of gases and clouds began to form and condense. All different colors started to appear. Megaman had seen this before. It was what he first saw when he came into the area. 'So, that's what it was. A nebula.' Megaman started to stand up, slowly. He turned his head around, scanning the area. The cloud became more and more dense, making it hard to see outside.

"Mega...n! Can...ou...ar...me?"  
"Lan? Lan! Say something!"

As the cloud became more and more dense, Megaman had come to a frightening realization. 'Oh, no...This nebula. It's...'

"I can see it in your eyes, Megaman. And, you are right. The different particles and gases in this nebula are interfering with you and your NetOp's ability to communicate."

Now fully standing, Megaman looked directly at Eclipse, or what he thought was his silhouette. "So, you want to fight dirty?"

"Fight dirty? Far from it. I was fulfilling your request for a fair fight."  
"How is this fair? I can barely see you."  
"Yes, but that is the penalty for getting assistance from your NetOp. In here, he can't communicate with you, or send you any BattleChips to help you. This is strictly one-on-one. You should be happy that this is a fair fight."

Megaman let out a low growl under his breath. If what Eclipse said was right, then he would be on his own. All he had was his MegaBuster and whatever punches and kicks he could throw at the other Navi. Right away, Megaman knew that this wasn't going to be an easy fight to win. The only thing that he could think of that would save him would be to find a way to turn one of Eclipse's own attacks against him. That would be his only, surefire attempt at winning and getting out of whatever trap this was.

Without warning, or even any sign of movement, Eclipse charged at Megaman, putting his elbow into Megaman's chin. Soon after, another strike was felt on the Navi's right side, and another on his left side.

From everything he felt, Megaman knew this wasn't going to end well.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Megaman! Megaman! Come in, Megaman!"

Lan looked at his PET screen, only seeing the snow-ish look of static staring back at him. He knew that something was up when he didn't get a response from Megaman the first time he called out to him. Now, after several minutes of trying to get into contact with his NetNavi, Lan knew that something was disrupting the signal.

"Great...how can I help him if I can't get a message to him?"

Unbeknownst to his surroundings, Lan had shouted his last comment, causing several pedestrians to look at him, each with their own guesses as to why the boy just yelled something at the top of his lungs. Still, they just brushed it off and continued on their way.

Then, Lan got an idea. It wasn't something that was favorable, but he knew who to call.

"Chaud. Chaud! Answer me, Chaud!"

Lan pushed a few buttons on his PET, trying to see if he could get a connection between his PET and Chaud's PET. He could only be thankful that Megaman had showed him several PET functions before the day started. And, the Navi was impressed that Lan committed all of them to memory rather quickly. He actually thought it would have taken a little longer before Lan could remember such things.

The boy kept trying to get a connection to Chaud. Fortunately, after a minute or two, he finally got Chaud on the other end.

"Lan? What is with the yelling?"  
"Chaud! I need your help."  
"What's up? Is something wrong?"  
"Yeah, big time. Megaman is under attack in NetCity, and I can't send him any BattleChips or even talk to him!"  
"What happened? Tell me!"  
"Some NetNavi called Eclipse attacked Megaman and put up some cloud-thing and now, I can't see what is going on or talk to Megaman at all!"

Chaud tilted his head downward in a thoughtful manner. "Hmmm...it must be the UnderNet Mafia. They are the only ones who would go after Megaman in NetCity, and out in the open." Chaud didn't move his head from it's position, as he kept on thinking about the situation. However, Lan didn't think that it was the right time to be just thinking about it. He knew that action needed to be taken.

"Chaud! We have to do something!"  
"Lan, I'm sorry, but I can't get Protoman to NetCity right now. I am in-flight and on my way to Netopia. There isn't anywhere I can jack in!"  
"What? Oh, man..."  
"I'm sorry, Lan. But, you are on your own. I'll call Commissioner Keifer and see if he can send something."  
"...Ok. Thanks, Chaud."

As Chaud closed the communication down, Lan just stared at his PET screen, knowing that he couldn't do a thing to help Megaman right now. It was killing him on the inside that he couldn't help his best friend. However, he was not without all hope. Lan soon got an idea, hoping that it would be worth it. 'I'll just have to try.'

And so, Lan skated down the sidewalk, on his way to SciLab.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

The nebula had reached full density. Megaman knew this much, even as he was being beaten left and right by Eclipse. The Navi couldn't even she his opponents outline anymore, not even when he was a foot away.

But, the strange thing was that Megaman knew he was better than this. After every fight he had gotten into, every enemy he had defeated, every organization he took down, his senses got sharper. There were times when he didn't even need to visually see an attack coming to know that it was on it's way. Something was certainly distracting the Megaman, but he couldn't put his finger on it. What could...

"Ahhh!" The Navi received another blunt hit to the head from Eclipse. Megaman noticed that as the fight progressed on, Eclipse's attacks seemed to have been gaining strength, or he was losing strength and they seemed to be hitting harder than they really were. Either way, he was feeling more pain than he wanted to, and it was making it a lot harder to concentrate on the fight at hand.

"What's wrong, Megaman? Are you feeling weak? Perhaps you should rest...for eternity"  
"What makes...you think I am...feeling weak, Eclipse?"  
"From the sound of your voice. It stutters and shakes."

'He's right. My body can't take much more of this,' Megaman thought to himself. Sure, he had been in tough battles before, and this was no exception. However, in almost all of those battles, he had Lan with him, as well as the occasional help from Tory, Yai, Maylu and...

Megaman's train of thought derailed. He was already on his hands and knees, trying to stay up off the ground when it finally hit him. The Navi was finally able to figure out why he was so distracted and unable to focus in the battle. He was still thinking, either consciously or subconsciously, about Lan asking Maylu out on the date. The thoughts about it and the emotions attached to it were causing him to be completely unfocused, and, unless he found a way out of it, it could cost him his life.

Another swift kick into Megaman's chest, sending him flying into the air, only to be greeted by another attack from Eclipse, elbowing him in the back and sending the Navi crashing into the ground below.

This time, it was too much. The final attack caused Megaman's body to go completely limp.

"Well, Megaman. It looks like this where I bid you, adieu."  
"I'm...not...done...yet..."  
"I beg to differ. Bon Voyage."

Raising his arm into the air, Eclipse was charging up what was to be the killing blow on Megaman. A large grin appeared over his face, knowing that this was going to be the final time that he could have to face off against Megaman, even though it was the only time he has so far.

However, his overconfidence was starting to grow too much. Eclipse hesitated in delivering the final blow. "Tell me, Megaman. How much pain are you in right now?" The Navi couldn't move any part of his body, much less actually talk with his oppressor.

"I've...had worse..."  
"Oh, really? Is that true? Then, I guess it would be awfully rude of me to keep you in such pain."  
"For someone...who...prides themselves...in being...a criminal...you sure have...a lot of...manners..."  
"How very observant of you, Megaman. And, with that, I shall put an end to your suffering."

Megaman's dark form of sarcasm was the only thing that he could grasp at the moment. There wasn't much else that he could do, say, or think that would help make the situation any less dismal than it already was. He knew that the nebula they were surrounded in was only goes to hasten his deletion unless he could think of a way to get rid of it, and quickly, or at least weaken it enough to allow him to contact Lan for help.

Unfortunately, the pain from the continuous onslaught was causing too much distraction for Megaman to even thought. The only thought that was resonating inside his head was the fact that Lan was asking Maylu out on a day...and that thought alone was the reason Megaman was in the situation he was in right now.

Eclipse looked down at the other Navi, grinning widely and with glee. "Time for you to be deleted, Megaman. Solar Beam!" Eclipse charged up an attack from one of his hands. The attack was drawing in it's energy from the surrounding nebula, gaining strength the more he charged it. Eclipse knew that if he was going to delete Megaman, he would have to use an attack with a lot of power, lest he chance the blue Navi surviving the encounter. But, Eclipse was not one to let anything chance.

His attack was ready, aiming his hand at Megaman's body, ready to strike...

"Wrath of Thunder!"

A large dragon of lightning appeared around the nebula encasing Megaman and Eclipse. The energy being released by the attack was immense, so immense that the shear magnitude of the attack started causing the deterioration of the nebula.

"What? What is happening?"  
"It's called a rescue."

A large explosion occurred, causing the nebula to completely disappear, the gas and particles scattering into the wind. The explosion caused a large amount of force, knocking Eclipse off his feet and catapulting him into the air, unable to control his movements, as well as causing his charged up attack to dissipate.

Megaman turned his head from side to side, slowly looking around to see if he could spot the person who had just caused the explosion and elimination of the nebula. He remembered the voice he heard. He also remembered the name of the attacked that was used, as well as it's look and function. There was only one NetNavi who had that kind of attack, voice, and power.

Thunderman.

Happily knowing that his life was spared by his Netopian friend, Megaman's mind and body finally shut down, falling completely unconscious, totally unaware of the battle that was soon ensue.

Not too long after, Eclipse finally fell from the sky and landed on the ground, causing a crater to form at the point of impact. He slowly stood up, not only wonder who could have caused his nebula to disperse, but who also had such an attack that it was powerful enough to even damage him in the process. But, his answer was soon to be answered.

"Well, picking on one of my friends is grounds for a battle."  
"How rude of you. I was in the middle of a battle, which you had no right to interfere with!"  
"Don't give me that, Eclipse. You know as well as I do that it was all a trap."  
"How perceptive of you."

Eclipse laid his eyes on the Navi in front of him. The only way he could describe him was a mummy wrapped in bandages with a spike on his head and green eyes. He thought that the Navi looked rather weird, but knew that not all NetNavis looked as they fought.

"You have me at a disadvantage."  
"I am Thunderman, and I am here to make sure that Megaman stays alive."  
"You talk tough, but are you able to back it up?"  
"Why not see for yourself."

The circle of disks appeared from out behind Thunderman, his trademark objects. Without much effort, Thunderman focused his energy, causing lightning to jump from one disk to the next, then the next, and so on. In no time at all, each disk was connected to 2 others through a constant stream of lightning. Eclipse didn't know what was about to happen, but his overconfidence was still evident, as he found the display more amusing than threatening.

He looked at the wrapped Navi, smiling widely and with glee. "Such a nice display of lighting effects. Well demonstrated." Eclipse laughed, caught up in his own joke in that moment. However, Thunderman was not amused by the display, and continued to concentrate on getting his attack ready.

And, it would seem as fortune would smile on him.

"This is where you take your final bow. Thunder Nova!"

A ball of lightning appeared in Thunderman's hands, which he immediately launched into the direction of Eclipse. The attack shined brightly, just like if it were a flash of lightning, but a hundred times brighter. If anything, Eclipse was only impressed with the visuals of the attack, but felt no threat from the actual attack. This was shown as he simply stood his ground and waited for the attack to reach him.

"A ball of lightning? That will not work!"  
"It isn't just a ball of lightning. It is much more."  
"It's nothing I can't deflect or repel. You have failed!"

The ball of lightning finally reached Eclipse, who put both of his hands out in an attempt to deflect the attack into another direction, preferably at either Thunderman or Megaman. But, to him, any direction would be good, seeing any any direction would cause damage to the city.

In an instant, the attack made contact with the UnderNet operative's hands, staying in place while his movements did nothing to deflect the attack. "Like I said, it isn't just a ball of lightning. It is much more. Detonate!"

With wide eyes, Eclipse looked on as the orb of lightning started to glow even brighter, beams of light emitting from it in all different directions. He didn't know what was happening at the exact moment, but he could guess and probably guess right at what was going to happen, knowing the word that Thunderman spoke was clue enough.

But, it was too late.

The ball of lightning exploded, causing a large release of energy, right in front of Eclipse, more specifically, right in front of his face and hands. The energy released came in the form of a half-sphere shape that started expanding outward as the ball of lightning exploded. The shear amount of light that emanated from the energy explosion was almost blinding. Luckily, Megaman wasn't looking in the direction, and Thunderman was already use to bright stuff.

Soon, the light cleared up, showing the results of the explosion. Thunderman looked on with glee as he saw the aftermath of his attack. There stood Eclipse, with both of his hands blown completely off, as well as several injuries on his arms and face where data was slowly leaking out, bleeding, if you will.

He soon lost strength in his legs, collapsing to the ground. The little nubs on his arms and his still in-tact knees were the only things keeping his face from being completely embedded in the ground. "Your attack...was...quite impress...ive."

"Do not underestimate me again. Be thankful that my new ultimate attack did not delete you."  
"You still...don't get it...do you?"  
"There isn't much to get. You are part of an organization that is out to take over the world. There is nothing more that I need to understand."  
"Your brave...words will not keep...you safe. I bid you...adieu."

With his last breath, Eclipse quickly logged out of the NetCity server, leaving Thunderman's visual sight.

"Mega...man. Come in, M...aman!"

Thunderman looked around as he heard a familiar voice. The static from the signal was starting to lessen as Lan's PET was getting a more stable connection to the NetCity mainframe, enabling him to finally communicate with Megaman, who, unbeknownst to Lan, was completely unconscious.

The other NetNavi was looking at Megaman when he saw a video screen appear next to the blue Navi. He slowly walked over, knowing that he was going to have to explain exactly what happened since Lan wouldn't have a clue.

"Megaman! Megaman! Answer me!"  
"Lan, Megaman needs to get to SciLab."  
"Who are you? Are you the one who did this to Megaman!"  
"I could never do this. I am Thunderman, Raoul's NetNavi."  
"Who is Raoul?"

Next to Thunderman, a video screen appeared. Lan looked from his screen to the one that was next to the mummified NetNavi, and got scared when he saw the image that appeared. Lan had never seen anyone who looked like this Raoul did. His face was very stern, almost scary. The boy didn't even have any words to describe the visual effect the hairstyle had on the man's overall appearance.

Needless to say anymore, Lan was a little spooked by the image.

"Lan. We can't talk like this right now. Megaman needs major repairs and healing."  
"Just answer my question first. Who are you?"

Raoul knew Lan was stubborn, and he knew that the boy wouldn't do anything unless his question was answered.

He sighed. "Hump. I guess you are not over your Amnesia yet. My name is Raoul. I am Thunderman's NetOp, and I live in Heaven City in Netopia. You and I met after you came in second place at the first N1 Grand Prix. We have been friends ever since, but we have also been rivals, to an extent."

Lan looked at the stranger. "So...Are you my biggest rival?" Lan tilted his head in a thoughtful manner. However, Raoul knew that time was of the essence in the situation like this. If Megaman didn't get repairs soon, he might have permanent damage.

"Lan, we don't have time for more questions. We need to get Megaman to SciLab so your father can start repairing him. If we don't get him there soon, he may suffer permanent data damage, or even get deleted."

Lan, who was still thinking, instantly derailed his train of thought as he remember that he lost all contact with Megaman not too long ago. He looked at his PET's holographic screen to see that Megaman, indeed, severely damage. In fact, Lan didn't remember Megaman getting this bet up during his fight with Gutsman. Then again, Megaman barely got a scratch from that fight.

Finally wrapping his mind around the situation, Lan looked at Raoul and spoke. "Alright. How are we going to get him there?"

"It would be quicker if Thunderman took Megaman there via the Net."  
"What about me?"  
"You get to SciLab on foot. That way, you can get there to explain anything I leave out."  
"What do you mean by that?"  
"Well, I will have to explain what Thunderman and I saw when we found Megaman. However, it will be up to you to fill in the blanks we leave."

Lan nodded his head in understanding. While he didn't remember much about it, the boy did hear a few things that Eclipse said after he had finally gotten the call from Megaman for help. So, there wasn't much that he could fill in, but he would try his best. As for getting to SciLab, Lan recalled the direction it was in, thanks to Megaman's help earlier in the day.

Without another thought, Lan holstered his PET and skated off.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

_**Have ever had to love someone,  
That just don't feel the same?  
Tryin' to make somebody care for you,  
The way I do,  
Is like tryin' to catch the rain.  
And if love is really forever,  
I'm a winner at a losin' game.**_

~~!~~  
~~!~~

_**There we go, everyone! Chapter 15 is done!**_

_**Ok, I will admit that the part where Lan asked Maylu out on a date was the unexpected twist. However, given everything that has happened so far, I guess it wasn't all that unexpected. Still, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter!**_

_**Tune in again for the next chapter: Days Go By!**_


	16. Chapter 16: Days Go By

**_Hello everyone!_**

**_Here is Chapter 16: Days Go By!_**

**_Note: This is the last chapter before the next "hanky panky" chapter! So, two people will be hooking up...but will it be Lan and Megaman, or Maylu and Lan? Also, I don't know how long this chapter will be. I guess we will find out at the end!_**

**_Let us begin! Enjoy!_**

~~!~~  
~~!~~

**-Wednesday-**

It was after school of the children of DenTech City. Many of them were heading home to complete their homework, going over to a friend's house to hang out, or hitting a local arcade to watch and maybe even participate in some NetBattles with their friends or greatest rivals. By all means, it was just your everyday, run-of-the-mill day for the children of DenTech City...

...all except one.

"Will he be ok, dad?"

Dr. Hikari didn't take his face off the of the computer monitor. He was completely focused in on his work, tapping several of the buttons on the console in front of him repeatedly. He didn't even acknowledge that his son had even asked him a question. There was no sound that came out of the man's mouth, not even a simple grunt of thoughtful hum. He was completely silent, leaving only his typing to be the only sound in the room.

Lan couldn't do much but look on. The screen in front of his displayed everything that a scientist needed to know in a situation such as this. The only downside was that Lan didn't understand a single word that was on the screen. To the boy, it was all gibberish.

He had gone to school earlier that day, but the worry for his NetNavi made him easily distracted, not to mention that he still needed to plan out his date with Maylu. He could only think that he was extremely lucky to have been able to concentrate on his schoolwork at any point during the day. And, to top it all off, he thought he was always this lucky if what everyone said was true; that he juggled schoolwork, personal life, and NetSaver duties on a day to day basis.

He was having a hard enough time grasping just that information that he wondered if he ever went insane or just had a breakdown. But, he didn't have the courage to ask anyone that.

So, Lan just decided to leave it at that and concentrate on the problem at hand.

"..." The boy looked at his father, the source of the sound that he just heard.

"I hope that's a good sound..."  
"I've been working on Megaman for almost 24 hours now. I was able to repair a lot of his data, but it is going to a be a little while before he will be at a hundred percent."  
"...How much longer?"  
"I can't be certain, but I would have to guess that in a day or two, Megaman will be just fine."

Lan let out a sigh of relief. It was a huge weight off his shoulders, knowing that Megaman was going to be alright. Still, he couldn't help but feel that Megaman wouldn't have gotten this way if it wasn't for him not being able to assist the Navi. All Lan could feel was that this was all somehow his fault...thinking that he was not a suitable NetOp for Megaman.

Dr. Hikari looked at his son, studying his face in the process. He could see that Lan was deep in thought, and the fact that the emotions of the thoughts were starting to surface on his face gave the scientist an idea of what Lan was thinking of. With his eyes fixated on the screen with his NetNavi on it, it was a fool-proof assumption to the older man that his son was thinking about Megaman. What exactly he was thinking about, Dr. Hikari could not guess, though.

There was a long silence in the room, only the sound of the various pieces of equipment could be heard. Occasionally, the door would open and close, another scientist of SciLab leaving or entering the room.

Instinctively, Dr. Hikari walked behind Lan and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Son, you don't need to worry about Megaman. He has been through a lot worse, and I am sure that you know about that. He is in good hands."

Lan turned his head and faced his father, who was giving his son a reassuring smile. He knew that he should have been comforted by the smile of his father, but Lan still couldn't get the thought of this entire thing being his fault out of his mind. All he could do was slightly tilt his head downward, hoping that it would all go away in due time. However, deep down inside, Lan knew that this was something that only time would be able to cure.

"I know...it's just that...I can't help feel that this is all my fault. I should have been there for Megaman when he needed me. But, I wasn't there for him."  
"It isn't something that you need to worry about, Lan. He will pull through this."  
"Are you sure, Dad?"  
"As sure as the sky is blue."

Feeling a little better about the situation, Lan tilted his head upward, looking back at the screen that showed his NetNavi, still being examined and repaired. He had never seen Megaman this damaged before. Then again, he couldn't remember the last time that Megaman had been in a battle like the one he was in only yesterday.

And, that was something that bothered the boy to no end.

As they were looking on, Lan noticed that the rings that were circling Megaman started to come to a stop. He wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but he could guess that the repairs to the Navi were almost, if not, already complete.

In only a few more seconds, the rings stopped moving, and just as quickly, started retracting back into themselves. Dr. Hikari knew that this meant the process was over, and that Megaman should be fine. He had been working on Navi was for a very long time, almost a complete 24 hours. And now, it seemed that the time he put into the repairs about to pay off; pay off in that his son would be happy and that Megaman would be fixed and back to his normal self.

What seemed to have been slower than the rings disappearing, Megaman began to open his eyes. To Dr. Hikari, this was a good sign. This meant that the damage was not severe enough to have caused any type of interference with the Navi's boot-up process.

"Megaman...he's...waking up."  
"That he is, Lan. It seems the repairs are complete."  
"Do you think that he was damaged a lot?"  
"It's certain that he took quite a beating from Eclipse. However, now that he is waking up, we will be able to see exactly what the damage to his systems will cause."  
"Do you think the damage will be...permanent?"  
"I don't think so. The amount of repairs that was put into him is certain to make sure nothing is permanent. The only downside is that if there are any problems, they are sure to surface quickly, but then go away just as quick."  
"So, all we can do is wait and see..."  
"Right, Lan."

The sound of computerized noises snatched the attention of the pair just as their conversation ended. The pair looked over at the computer screen to see that Megaman was finally standing on his own two feet, attempting to wake up after being in standby mode for nearly 30 hours.

Opening his eyes gingerly due to the amount of light in his environment, Megaman started looking around the area, immediately noticing that he was in a SciLab NetNavi Recovery computer. And, he also immediately realized that it was not just any of the computers. It was Dr. Hikari's own computer terminal.

Finally getting his eyes completely adjusted to the light, Megaman looked out and saw Lan and Dr. Hikari standing on the other end of the video feed. The Navi was filled with relief that they were ok. "Hi Dr. Hikari."

"Hello, Megaman. Are you feeling ok?"  
"A little bit wobbly, but I will be fine."  
"That's good to hear."

Looking at the smile on the older man's face made it clear to Megaman that things were going to be ok. After giving a nod of acknowledgment, the Navi turned his gaze upon Lan, standing to the left of his father.

Even though he was badly damaged in the fight with Eclipse, Megaman still remembered why he couldn't concentrate on the battle with the UnderNet Mafia Agent. It was the surprise news he heard from Lan...the news that he, not only wanted to take Maylu out on a date, but that he also asked her not two minutes before the attack in NetCity.

And, just like clockwork, Megaman knew that he had to look at Lan to acknowledge his presence in the room. It wasn't as easy as he thought it would be to look directly into the boy's eyes, simply because he knew that there was no way that he would ever be able to look at him the same way again...the way as two people in love look at each other. In the Navi's mind, him and Lan would never become more than friends now.

And, that made him upset more than Lan actually asking Maylu out on a date.

However, Megaman had to snap out of his stupor at some point. He didn't want anyone to see him in some kind of depression. That would make things a little more complicated than they needed to be.

"Hey, Megaman. Are you ok?"  
"Oh, I'm fine, Lan. Just thinking about a few things."  
"What kind of things?"  
"Just...a few things that have been in my mind for a bit."  
"Mind sharing?"

That was not the question that Megaman wanted to hear. Sure, he wanted to share stuff with Lan as best he could. In fact, under normal circumstances, Megaman would share just about everything with Lan. From what he did while in NetCity to stuff that the boy missed in class.

Still, he knew that he couldn't tell him...not right now. "It's kinda private. It's nothing, really. Just things I need to figure out on my own." The Navi had no choice but to lie. He just couldn't tell Lan that he was feeling confined and depressed. The fact that he couldn't even touch the boy's face was simply tearing the Navi up on the inside. What he wouldn't give to feel Lan's skin against his own, even if it was just a handshake. Hell, at this point, Megaman would even settle for a high-five.

"...Alright." Lan didn't seem to be too convinced, but Megaman could see that the issue was going to be dropped, at least by his NetOp. However, the Navi knew better. He knew that what was on his mind had to be said, more or less to someone else.

And, Megaman knew who he had to go talk to.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

Lan slowly skated down the sidewalk, taking his time in getting back home. He had attended school earlier that day, but given the circumstances with Megaman, the boy was unable to pay a lot of attention to anything that was happening. His mind was too much in a fog to have been able to concentrate on whatever lecture or in-class assignments that Ms. Mari was giving that day. Luckily for him, his teacher hadn't taken any kind of notice to his day-long distraction.

The sky that day was clear, for the most part. There were passing clouds every now and then. And, according to the forecast for the day, and the rest of the week, the weather was going to be very mild.

Megaman decided that now was as better a time as any to make his move. "Hey, Lan. Do you mind if I leave the PET for a little bit?"

"Leave the PET? Do you need to go somewhere?"  
"Well...yeah. I need to go and talk to someone."  
"Really? Who do you need to talk to?"  
"Just a friend of mine. It's important to me."

Lan looked at his shoulder, where Megaman's hologram was located at the moment. He wasn't sure why the Navi needed to visit this person, but he could tell, just by looking into the Navi's eyes, that it was something that was important to him.

"Alright. Go ahead. I'll just be going home." Megaman nodded his head in appreciation. "Thanks, Lan."

With that, Megaman disappeared from sight.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

After traveling through the Net, Megaman finally arrived at his destination. The firewall was rather large, and showed signs of very high security. He knew that he couldn't break in, nor would he want to. He just needed to talk to the person behind it.

A security Navi spotted Megaman, quickly approaching him. "State your name and your reason for being here." He could see that the security Navi was programmed to be well-armed, strict, and even short-tempered. Megaman knew that this wasn't the kind of Navi that you would to cross on a bad day.

Still, he had to get the message across to this Navi that he needed to talk to someone inside. "My name is Megaman, and I am here to see the company's NetNavi."

"Do you have an appointment?"  
"Well...no, but we both work together."  
"You are not permitted to enter unless you have an appointment."  
"Well...can you at least check to see if they..."  
"Your access is denied. Move along, or you will be forced to logout."

Megaman wasn't one that responded well to threats on his well-being. However, under normal circumstances, it was always a Net terrorist that made the threat on his life. This time was different. This time it was an upstanding NetNavi that was only doing what he was programmed to do.

Still, he HAD to talk to the person inside. "Look, I really need to talk to him. Are you sure you can't just contact him and ask?"

"This is your final warning. Leave now, or be forcibly logged out!" Megaman could see that the security Navi was dead serious. It already raised up a blaster and aimed it a Megaman. He didn't know what to do. This was probably going to be his only chance to have his talk before Lan's date with Maylu in only two days. 'I have to stand my ground. I have to talk with him!'

He remained immobile. Megaman made sure that did not move from his spot. "Your time is up. Forced logout commencing!" The Navi began to charge his cannon, keeping his aim steady, not wavering one bit as the energy began to collect inside the firing chamber.

However, fortune would seem to be on Megaman's side as another NetNavi appeared in front of him, positioning himself between Megaman and the security Navi. "And, just who do you think you are aiming that cannon at?" The voice was familiar, and quite stern, almost as if the Navi held some kind of superiority over the security Navi. If Megaman had been any other Navi, he would have next to no idea who was in front of them. But, Megaman knew better. He knew exactly who it was, just by the sound of his voice.

It was Protoman.

The security Navi immediately changed it's demeanor. "My deepest apologizes, sir! I was unaware that this person was an acquaintance of yours!" Bowing to the red-clad Navi many times over, the security Navi moved to the side to let Protoman through. However, he did not move. Instead, he turned his attention to the other Navi standing off to the side. "Was there something I can help you with, Megaman?"

Megaman simply nodded his head before speaking.

"Yeah. Protoman. I was wondering if we could...talk for a little bit."  
"Talk? About what?"  
"Well...it's about Lan, mostly."  
"I see. I was wondering why you wanted to talk with me, since you always just talk to Lan about stuff. However, given the situation, I guess it can't be helped."

Megaman wasn't sure if that was suppose to be an insult or his sometimes cold demeanor. Either way, he was happy that Protoman was going to talk with him. "Thanks, Protoman." Megaman looked at the other Navi, and immediately noticed a small smirk cross his face. He knew what that smirk meant, and he was happy to see it. "Well, then. Let's go inside."

The red-clad Navi ushered Megaman through a small portal in the firewall, entering the mainframe of BlazeQuest Games. There were a lot of processes going on as they entered. Megaman couldn't even fathom how much information was processed, stored, or re-routed through the system that he was standing in.

They soon got to a section of the mainframe that seemed to be partitioned off from the rest, as though it was a private sector. Megaman looked around and saw numerous different files and programs around. To his eyes, they all looked to be vital files and programs. 'I guess this is where Protoman does all of his work for Chaud and the rest of the company. This area looks so important. It reminds me of the SciLab computer system.'

"So, you wanted to talk to me, Megaman?"  
"Oh, yeah. I just need someone to talk to...it's about Lan."  
"Don't you think it would be better to talk to Dr. or Mrs. Hikari? They are his parents, after all."  
"Well, it's...a little more complicated. And, I wanted to talk to someone that might understand more than they would."  
"So, you are saying that his parents would not understand something about their own son?"  
"It isn't that they won't understand, but they might not...like what they hear."

Protoman raised an eyebrow below his visor, which Megaman could not see. In his head, the red-clad Navi was trying to figure out what exactly Megaman had come to talk about. Sure enough, in the past, Megaman would simply talk to Lan or one of his parents if the situation called for it. However, Protoman knew that since the accident, there were things running around inside of the blue-clad Navi's mind that he couldn't bring up to Lan, or even his parents, more than likely his feelings about the whole situation with the boy.

Still, his friend was in need of help, and Protoman knew that he might be able to assist, as long as it didn't take up too much of his time. "Well, I am all ears, Megaman. Spill it."

"Well...umm..." Megaman wasn't able to find the courage to continue. He found it frustrating that when it came to life or death situations, he was always able to muster up the courage to face the challenge head on. However, when it came to love, he seemed to be even more shy than Mr. Higsby...and that is saying a lot.

"...I think Lan is going to make a huge mistake."  
"What kind of mistake are you talking about?"  
"It's...complicated."  
"You have already established that much. What's complicated about it?"  
"It's just that...Lan is going out on a...date...with Maylu this Friday."  
"So, how is that a mistake? Those two look like the perfect couple."

Protoman's comment was like a knife cutting into Megaman's heart. He wanted to yell at Protoman for that comment. However, he knew he had to keep his cool if wanted the advice he was hoping to get. "It may seem like it, but...I know he is making a huge mistake if he goes out with Maylu."

"Well, Megaman. If you are so adamant about your position, who do you think Lan should go out with if Maylu is a 'huge mistake'?" The blue-armored Navi wasn't aware of it, but Protoman knew where this conversation was going. He could see it in Megaman's eyes; the pain of having a loved one slip right through your fingers. He briefly remembered that look in Chaud's eyes after the boy used the Dark Chip on him.

Megaman tried not to look frustrated, or even blush. He tried to hide his emotions as best he could, but it was to no avail. Protoman was able to see it all. "Lan...has to be together with someone else. That person is the only one that can be with him...and keep him happy."

"And, who is this person?"  
"That's not important."  
"It is important, Megaman. You can't expect me to help you if you can't tell me who the other person is."  
"Protoman...I am telling you the other person's name isn't important. I just need to make Lan see that he belongs with that person."  
"And, what is so special about this 'other person' that will make and keep Lan happy?"

The frustration was starting to build up inside Megaman, at quite a fast pace, as well. All he came here for was to see if Protoman would tell him that he needs to make Lan see that the person is who Lan should be with. But, instead, he has noticed that Protoman is completely avoiding that part and keeps asking for a name.

To put it lightly, this wasn't going as Megaman had hoped; not in the least.

And, the bottled up frustration finally started coming out. "Look, Protoman. I just need to know if I should tell Lan or not!"

"That's something you have to ask yourself, Megaman. You have to ask yourself whether or not you should destroy a potentially good relationship because you 'think' it is a mistake."  
"What? I came here to ask for your help, Protoman, not a lecture!"  
"And a lecture is all you will get unless you tell me what I want to know about this other person!"

Once again, Megaman felt more and more frustration building up inside him. Even what he already let out wasn't enough to calm him down. He felt as though Protoman was deliberately pushing his buttons over this issue. 'Can't you just get over his pride and give me what advice I want to hear? This is pointless!'

But, Protoman knew what was going on now, and he had an answer for Megaman. But, he had to hear the other Navi say it before he could continue on. So, all he could do now was keep pressing Megaman's buttons until he finally cracked under the pressure. "Megaman. If you want an answer other than a lecture, you have to tell me. Who is the other person?"

"I told you! It's not important!"  
"You getting worked up over it shows that it is important. In fact, it is important enough that you don't want to mention it for whatever reason you have."  
"Protoman, just...let it go!"  
"Not this time, Megaman. Who is it?"

And, it finally happened. The pressure from the argument between them forced Megaman to shout out the answer that Protoman was looking for, and what Megaman hoped to avoid saying. "It's me, ok! I am the one that should be with Lan!" With his shouted comment said, he could feel the tears starting to form in his eyes. The shear amount of bottled up emotion was finally too much for the Navi to contain.

Megaman tried his best to wipe away whatever tears threatened to roll down his face and cheeks. He turned away from the other Navi, not wanting him to see how weak he must have looked at that moment. He attempted to control his breathing more, making sure that a single whimper did not escape his mouth while he took a moment to get rid of the tears that had now started to free-fall down his face.

It was a moment that Megaman had hoped would not happened, to say the least.

"Do you love him?"

The silence from Protoman finally broke. The question that he imposed grabbed a hold of Megaman's attention. The Navi turned around, his eyes still showing traces of tears. As he spoke, his voice quivered. "Y...yeah. I...I do love Lan." Megaman fully expected Protoman to think so much less of him now. Not only was he and Lan involved romantically with each other, but to top it all off, Megaman was a NetNavi. The blue-clad Navi knew that the other Navi would catch on at some point.

Still, he had to ask a question. "Do you...think it's...weird?"

Protoman looked at Megaman, his expression had not changed much since they started talking. He stared with his normal demeanor at the blue-armor Navi. The stare was starting to make Megaman nervous. The last time Protoman looked at him like this was during the N1 Grand Prix, back when they were more rivals than friends.

I was unnerving then, and it was still unnerving now.

But, in due time, Protoman finally smiled. "You always were the weird Navi of your group, Megaman."

"What do you mean by that?"  
"I mean that you do what you want and don't let others determine your path."  
"Yeah...I guess. And, that's something Lan does too, which is why..."  
"Which is why you love him, because you and him relate to each other on a level that can't be reached with just your friends."

Megaman simply nodded his head. The answer from Protoman wasn't the way that Megaman wanted, but it was still something. He found that if he actually read between the lines, what the red-clad Navi said was really a compliment. "Umm...thanks, I guess. But...I still don't know what I should do.."

"Megaman. You said that you love Lan, right?"  
"Of course, I do! With all my heart and soul!"  
"You know, I had figured out something was up between the two of you when you were spending a lot of time out of your PET. You are easier to read than a book, sometimes."

Megaman slowly frowned at the statement. However, he knew that he could sometimes be predictable, and therefore, decided to let the comment slide for the time being. "But, I remember an old saying, Megaman, and perhaps it is time for you to see if you can practice it."

"What is that?"  
"It goes like this: 'If you truly love something or something, then set it free.'"  
"And, just what is that suppose to mean?"  
"What I think it means is that if you really do love Lan the way you say you do, then you wouldn't want to keep him for yourself. You would want him to be happy...no matter who he decided to be with."

Megaman could feel the tears starting to form in his eyes again. 'Wait...so he expects me to just let Lan and Maylu date and fall in love? How can...can I accept that?' He spoke up to Protoman, trying not to make his voice quiver as he talked. "But, Protoman, how can I...I..."

"Megaman. That is my advice to you. If you truly love Lan that much, then don't be selfish with him..." The blue-clad Navi could fee the tears rolling down his face. It felt as thought Protoman was issuing him a death sentence. "But...I..."

"But nothing, Megaman. That's all I can do for you. Now, you have to do what is best for Lan. On that, I cannot be of help. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to get back to work, as Chaud is expecting several important documents today."

With that, Protoman vanished from the area, leaving Megaman on his knees, crying like he never thought he could.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

_**I know that I'll never be  
**__**the man that you need or love  
Yeah, baby it's killin' me  
**__**to stand here and see  
I'm not what you've been dreamin' of**_

~~!~~  
~~!~~

**-Thursday-**

Lan had noticed that Megaman wasn't talkative since he came back to his PET the day before. He didn't say much. He didn't do much. All the Navi seemed to do was just stay in his PET and help the boy with the day-to-day tasks of being a student. And, to top it all off, Lan still didn't know who Megaman went to visit, what was said, or even if a fight broke out. It was a complete mystery to the boy.

And, every time Lan asked, he got the same response from the Navi. "I really don't want to talk about it.

School was almost over for the day. Lan had actually done his homework the night before, not even pestering Megaman to help him with it. Then again, Megaman had gone into sleep mode even before Lan started on his homework. So, he wasn't even able to ask Megaman for help. That made it difficult for the boy, considering that he didn't even remotely remember the majority of what he was taught. So, he had to open up a few of his textbooks and get the information out of them.

_-bing, bing, bing, bing-_

The final bell for the day rung, causing a lot of students to move all at once, creating much noise.

"Remember, everyone. I expect you all to have an idea for your quarterly projects tomorrow. Good-bye!"

The students all gave their good-byes to Ms. Mari as they exited the classroom. Many were planning on either going home to work on the nightly homework, or down to the arcade to have a NetBattle with friends, or even just to have fun.

Lan, however, need to concentrate on other things.

"Lan! Wait up!" Maylu called from behind the boy. He stopped walking and turned around, seeing the girl running up to him and having her hands in the air, almost signaling for him to stop and wait for her or that she was waving hello.

"Hey. What's up, Maylu?"  
"I was just wondering where we were going tomorrow."  
"Tomorrow?"  
"Don't tell me you forgot already! Our date, remember?"

Suddenly, Lan remembered. He recalled that he asked Maylu out on the date, but he didn't remember picking a place for them to go. Lan knew a few places around the city, mostly from talking with his friends and Megaman, but he hadn't come to a conclusion on where he was going to take Maylu out to.

He would have talked to Megaman about it, but the Navi just didn't seem to be in such a talkative mood since his fight with Eclipse. In fact, Lan had noticed that Megaman hadn't said pretty much anything since he got back from his "talk" with a "friend." What frustrated Lan was that the Navi didn't even say what the talk was about, or even who the friend was. The shear amount of mystery surrounding Megaman's talk with his friend was beginning to make Lan upset, not to mentioned untrusted by his own Navi.

However, he knew this wasn't the time to think about that. He had to think of a place to take Maylu the next day. He hadn't put much thought into it, and since she was right there, he had to say something. "Well...I was thinking maybe...an early dinner at the DenTech Tower and then a...movie?"

"Wow, Lan. That sounds really fun!"  
"Really? Well...it is just an idea, really."  
"Well, I think it is a good one."

"Yeah, Maylu. We can spend some time picking out an outfit for you." Roll, overhearing the conversation, appeared on Maylu's shoulder. The translucent hologram was showing several signs of excitement, both in her face and in her movements.

Like Maylu, Roll also couldn't believe that Lan actually asked the girl out on a date. It had taken him such a long time to even work up the courage to do such a thing, and now it was only a day away. In fact, the excitement for the upcoming day was so much, both Maylu and Roll completely forgot that Lan was probably doing this because he didn't remotely remember anything that happened before the accident with Cannonman.

"You're right, Roll. I still haven't picked out anything to wear."  
"I know a few things that can probably work well together. We can check them out after your piano lessons."  
"Sounds like a plan, Roll."

At this point, Lan had realized that the two of them had lost track of where they were going. The boy looked around and saw that the two of them had already left the school, walked out of the courtyard, and were already halfway home. 'Wow. We were chatting that much? Did we also lose track of time?' Lan looked at a nearby clock, showing that it was already 3:30 pm.

Lan didn't believe that it was already thirty minutes after school ending. He had figured only five or ten minutes had passed since then. Obviously, he was wrong. "So, Maylu. What time do you want me to get you tomorrow?" Lan wasn't exactly sure what a good time for her was, but he knew that he had to say something to get her attention, hoping that she had an answer to his question.

"What time tomorrow?"  
"Yeah. When should I come over to your house?"  
"Oh, right. Sorry. I got caught up in deciding on an outfit, I forgot what the outfit was for."  
"That's ok. I just want to know. That's all."  
"Let's see...piano lessons at 4...my parents come home at 5...how about 5:30?"  
"Alright. 5:30 it is."

Maylu and Lan exchanged smiles, content with everything setup for their date the next day.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Hey, Megaman. What do you think I should wear tomorrow?"

Lan was trying to get his Navi to talk. He had been so quiet lately that it was starting to worry the boy. Normally, Megaman was always there, ready to give some advice, help him with a problem, and even, more importantly, help him remember things that were important to him. After all, to Lan, it was Megaman who seemed to help him work up the courage to ask Maylu on the date.

Still, the boy did not hear an answer from the Navi. Now, not only was Lan starting to get worried, but the constant lack of response was also starting to annoy him. "Come on, Megaman. You have to talk to me sometime."

However, there was still no answer.

"Come on, Megaman! Answer me, will ya?"

Finally, after shouting at his PET, Megaman's hologram appeared on Lan's shoulder. He looked at his translucent friend, and immediately noticed something. He could tell right off the bat that Megaman wasn't himself. The look on his face was so...heartbroken, for lack of a better word. Although Lan didn't remember much about the Navi, he couldn't remember a time when Megaman looked like he did at that moment.

Consequently, Lan was his friend, and he knew that he had to look out for the Navi, and hopefully, get to the bottom of his something depressing mood. "Talk to me, Megaman. What's wrong?"

"You should probably wear what you normally do. If not, then a shirt with a collar and black jeans would probably work best."

Lan didn't know where all that was coming from, but he figured out that Megaman was answering his early question about what to wear. Still, he had to continue on with the issue at hand. "Thanks for that, Megaman. But right now, I want to know what is wrong with you."

"I'm fine. I just don't want to talk about it."  
"But, I do, Megaman. You're not yourself, and you need to talk to someone."  
"I told you, Lan. I am fine. I don't want to talk about it."  
"Megaman..."

"Lan, please just...just drop it." The boy could tell that the Navi was starting to get annoyed by the semi-interrogation. His voice was the biggest part that seemed to be annoyed by it. And, it wasn't hard to Lan to see that the Navi's body language also spelled out annoyance.

"...Fine. But, if you want to talk, I am right here."

Megaman, still not in the mood to try and argue with Lan, slightly nodded his head. In fact, he nodded his head so slightly, that Lan barely saw it move.

However, the lack of movement was about to change, for both of them.

A loud crash was heard not too far from where Lan had been walking. The crash caused numerous parked vehicles to have their alarms set off due to the violent tremors which originated from the location of the crash. Megaman knew what this meant, and he also knew something else: He knew that this meant Lan was in danger. 'If Lan goes that way...He won't stand a chance against them!'

And, his fears came to pass. "Megaman! What in the world could that have been? Do we get earthquakes around here?" At this point, Megaman needed to think of something that would make Lan not worry about what just happened, and just continue on home. The Navi knew that home was the safest place for Lan at a time like this.

"It was probably nothing, Lan. Let's just go home."  
"It sure didn't feel like nothing."  
"Some really heavy construction equipment probably just fell from on top of a building. Let's just go home."  
"But, Megaman. Someone might have gotten hurt. We should check it out."

He thought about objecting, and he knew he should have, but Megaman couldn't bring himself to say anything. It just felt to him that the two were just becoming more and more distant from one another.

And so, keeping his objections to himself, Megaman kept quiet and let Lan continue to the source of the loud explosion and, most likely, the source of the tremor. 'I just hope nothing bad happens.'

After a short run down a few blocks, Lan and Megaman finally reached the area. A lot of people were running around, screaming, yelling, and making all manner of noise. It was hard for the boy to even hear his own thoughts. A lot of vehicles were also speeding away from the area, as well as a lot of debris scattered all around. Whatever caused the tremor and loud explosion sound definitely could have easily been some kind of bomb or explosive device.

Then again, stuff like that was something that Lan had very little to no knowledge about.

"What could have caused all of this?"  
"I don't know, Lan. But, it must have been something big."  
"Well, let's check it out."  
"...I still don't think this is a good idea, Lan."

"Well, we don't have anything to lose if it was just construction equipment, right?" Lan's observation of the situation was without flaw. Megaman could see that the boy still held courage in his heart when it came to dangerous situations such as this one. However, what Megaman still didn't tell Lan was that there was a possibility that the object that caused the tremors was not just come construction equipment.

No. Megaman knew better than that, especially after all of the recent happenings.

After getting past the crowds of people and vehicles, Lan finally arrived at the sight. He looked around in astonishment. "What happened here? There's so much...destruction. There's no way a piece of construction equipment could have caused this!"

"Lan...you're right. It has to be something else."  
"But, what could it be, Megaman?"  
"Well, I think...never mind. We should just let the police handle this. Let's get out of here, Lan."

The boy looked at the hologram on his shoulder, a look of confusion on his face. "Megaman, unless I am wrong, I am a NetSaver. That means I am part of the police force, right?" Now, he had Megaman cornered. The Navi didn't want to admit it, but Lan was right on this matter. It wasn't that he wanted Lan to be wrong about it, but that he just didn't want Lan to get into any danger, which happened to be the case every time something like this happened in DenTech.

Deep down inside, Megaman could feel Lan slowly slipping away from him, both physically and emotionally.

Still, he had to admit defeat this one time, and hope that he wouldn't have to again. "...Yeah. You are, Lan. Let's go check it out." With a nod of his head, Lan started to talk around the area, looking carefully at all of the different pieces of debris. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he could only guess that he would know a clue if he saw one. Unfortunately for the boy, that was easier thought than done.

Much of the debris was still intact. Most of it was just pieces of concrete from the sidewalks in the area, as well as pieces of pavement from the streets. They were all scattered around the area in large chunks. During his search, Lan was also looking for anyone that might have gotten caught in the incident. He wanted to make sure that there wasn't anyone trapped beneath the rubble, or even worse, killed the falling debris. However, a major drawback to him being the only one that was searching meant that he had to find these people by himself, and attempt to rescue them, again by himself.

Luckily, after a few minutes of searching around, the boy did not find anyone. 'That's a relief. Everyone got out of the area in time.' He smiled inward. He wasn't sure if that was how he normally talked, but he thought that was starting to sound just like a police officer.

"Lan, over there! It's the crater that was formed when the object crashed."  
"Wow. It looks huge."  
"Yeah. If someone falls at a fast enough speed and at the right angle, a large crater like that one will form."

"You seem to know a lot about it..." Lan made his observation, which caught Megaman's attention. He wasn't sure what to say now. He didn't want to let on that he knew more than he said. He also didn't want Lan to find out that this was much more dangerous than he had thought.

The Navi was about speed, when they both heard a voice from somewhere in the wreckage. "Well, hello there, Lan Hikari. Megaman. It has been far too long." The voice sound extremely familiar to the pair. There was only person who they had faced that would have such a malevolent voice, not to mention the amount of "politeness" in his voice.

It was Eclipse.

Lan stared in awe. "Wa..w...Wait! How can a NetNavi be in the real world?" The boy didn't understand how a NetNavi was able to be in the real world. However, it slipped him mind that he had been explained that a few days ago. And, Megaman knew that he had to quickly explain it before anything happened.

"Lan, remember what I told you a few day ago? A NetNavi can appear in the real world with the help of a Copyroid."  
"Oh, yeah. I remember that now."  
"Right. So, Eclipse is using a Copyroid right now. And, worst of all, he can actually hurt us!"

The boy was a little confused by Megaman's comment, considering that he knew that the Navi was inside his PET. However, Lan also knew that this wasn't time to be thinking about stuff like that. He knew that he had to concentrate on what Eclipse might do to them. "Well, Lan Hikari. Since you seem to knew enough about what is going on here, I'll give you the honor of being able to experience what it is like to be in the presence of one such as myself!"

Without another word, Eclipse lunged forward, attempting to attack Lan. However, Eclipse was far enough away from the boy to have allowed him time to move out of the way. The impact several yards back where the UnderNet Agent hit caused the ground to shake even more. The impact also caused even more of the already scattered debris to get kicked up into the air, separating and scattering into all different directions. Megaman's hologram looked on with worry. He remembered the last time that Lan had to face an UnderNet Mafia agent in the real world, and the turnout was something that has been causing him more pain than being stabbed with a WideSword.

But, the Navi knew that he had to stayed concentrated on the situation at hand. He did the only thing he could do to help the situation.

He called Famous.

"Mr. Famous! Mr. Famous! Come in!" Megaman attempted to use the PET to contact SciLab, hoping that someone on the other end would pickup. The Navi knew that if he could get in into contact with SciLab, he would be able to help Lan in a tremendous way. However, there was a problem: Megaman couldn't seem to get a hold of anyone at SciLab!

'Crap...what am I suppose to do now? I can't call them!' Not knowing what was going on outside of the PET, Megaman reactivated the holo-projector on the PET, appearing that Lan's shoulder. He could see that the fight was still going on.

"Lan, please run away! You can't take him on like this."  
"I have to try, Megaman. It's my duty as a NetSaver!"  
"But, it isn't worth your life, Lan. Please, just listen to me and get somewhere safe."

Neither of the two of them could see Eclipse anywhere. The boy had evaded another attack from the Navi, who seemed to be moving rather slowly for a NetNavi. Lan couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he was getting a feeling that Eclipse was just toying with him, not showing his true power or unleashing his full potential as a NetNavi. It was actually both soothing and nerve wrecking for the boy, at the same time. It was soothing in a sense that he wasn't hurt yet, and that Eclipse may keep doing this for a while. However, it was nerve wrecking because Lan knew that Eclipse could do better, and that he may eventually stop his little games and come at the boy full force.

It was something that he didn't want to think about, but knew deep down that it could happen.

"Megaman...this guys is after me. There isn't any 'safe' place for me right now. If I don't make my stand, he will just keep chasing me no matter where I go. And, I don't want to put anyone else in danger if he just wants me. So, I am staying."

The Navi was shocked to hear what just came out of Lan's mouth. Megaman hadn't seen this kind of courage from the boy since before...the accident. 'Could it be that Lan is starting to even remember his own confidence and courage?' The Navi had several thoughts running through his mind at that moment. He began to think that this whole Amnesia thing wasn't going to last much longer, and that Lan would be back to normal in no time. And, if Lan was going to be himself soon, then that meant...

"That is very heart-warming to hear, Lan Hikari. It really was a great speech. Such poise and articulation." Eclipse's voice could be heard close by.

"Well, I guess I should thank you for that, but given what you did to Megaman two days ago, I don't want to hear it."  
"No worries there, Lan Hikari. I'll make sure you never hear anything again."

'Oh, great. I don't like the sound of that.' Lan could think about the comment more, but Eclipse had appeared out of a large pile of rubble, immediately launching another frontal attack. Lan, still having the advantage of distance, dodged in time. Still, even during the heat of battle, Lan couldn't figure out how he was able to dodge these attacks of easily. He figured that he would have gotten hit at least once or twice by now. However, it was quite the opposite; He hadn't been injured thus far.

Back inside Megaman's PET, the Navi tried once again to get into contact with SciLab. "Mr. Famous! Dr. Hikari! Is anyone there? Lan needs help!" Still, there was no response from either of the two. Megaman knew damn well that they were both at SciLab. Neither of them ever left the place unless they were going either home or to the NetPolice Headquarters downtime. And, considering that it was only 4:00 in the afternoon, both of them should have still been at the Lab.

There was another break in the fight, as Eclipse stood several yards away from Lan. The boy was sure now that the UnderNet agent was simply toying with him. "Where is your NetNavi, Lan Hikari? I don't see his hologram around here." Lan didn't move his gaze off of Eclipse. 'He must be trying to distract me,' Lan thought. Still, out of the corners of his eyes, he tried as best he could to focus. His searched confirmed the other Navi's statement. Megaman was not on either of his shoulders.

Still trying to keep his gaze fixated on Eclipse, Lan spoke. "I'm sure is doing something important, like finding a way to get rid of you."

"I highly doubt that, Lan Hikari. That pathetic NetNavi couldn't get rid of me the first time we met."  
"That was then, and this is now, Eclipse!"  
"Those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. What makes you think this will be any different?"

Honestly, Lan didn't have an answer to that question. He wasn't sure what he could say in order to contradict his opponent. The both of them continued to simply stare at each other, not letting their eyes off of the other one.

Meanwhile, Megaman attempted to anything and almost everything within his power to make contact with SciLab. It was proving to be more and more difficult than he had thought. 'There has to be something that is blocking the PET communication from reaching SciLab. But, where is it coming from?' The Navi couldn't answer the question quite well. He never had a problem with contacting SciLab from the PET before. However, now, it seems that something was jamming any type of transmission from getting out of the PET and reaching SciLab.

And, just then, Eclipse decided to say something during the silence. "If Megaman is trying to contact your precious SciLab, it won't work!" The Navi heard this and immediately activated the holographic projector, appearing on Lan's left shoulder. The boy heard the sound and looked at his NetNavi. "Megaman. Is that what you have been trying to do?"

"It is. But, how did he know?"

Eclipse laughed. "It's simple. I am the lead Intelligence Officer for the UnderNet Mafia. I gathered the data from your previous fights with some of our agents, and decided that the best way to keep you from utilizing CrossFusion was to jam any and all transmissions from your PET to SciLab. Now, you cannot call for a Dimensional Area!"

Lan just stood there. He knew he had heard of a Dimensional Area before, but he could remember where. He had to think for a moment, but he had to make sure that he didn't take his eye off of Eclipse in the process.

"This is bad. Now, we can't contain him in a small area."  
"You are correct, Megaman. Without the aid of your Dimensional Area technology, you won't stop me from ever chasing either of you two!"  
"We will still beat you, Eclipse! I know we will!"

'I hope...' Megaman's hologram disappeared from sight as he went back into the PET's Cyberworld to find a way to get a communication to SciLab. "There has to be a way! He couldn't have completely blocked off every possible way of getting a message to SciLab." Megaman didn't realize it at first, but he had started thinking out loud. Fortunately, neither Lan nor Eclipse could hear him. He was in almost complete seclusion until he could unravel a method.

"Hmmm...he said we can't talk to SciLab from our PET..." All the Navi could do was think about what the other Navi had said. Megaman figured that there must be some kind of clue in what Eclipse said that would help them in this situation.

"Woah!"

Megaman heard Lan yell out, forcing him to stop thinking about contacting SciLab and back to the more pressing matter at hand. He knew that Lan yelling wasn't a good thing, and his gut was telling him that Eclipse had launched another attack on the boy.

Hoping that he wasn't right, Megaman activated the holographic projector on the PET and once again appeared on Lan's shoulder. To his surprise, and much needed relief, the Navi saw that Lan was just fine. However, as he looked around, you noticed that the area around them was started to get dark, much darker than it should be for the time of day.

Unfortunately, Megaman noticed that hue of the darkness that was encircling then. 'This isn't good. Eclipse is using Enshrouding Nebula!'

"Lan! Be careful! Eclipse is using what same thing he used on me when he attacked NetCity."  
"You mean that thing that kept me from getting BattleChips to you?"  
"Exactly. It was dangerous then, and now that Eclipse is here in the real world, it might be even more dangerous."

"I got this, Megaman. There isn't any need to worry." The Navi wanted to believe him, but there wasn't anything that the Navi could do to ease his new worries. He already had enough on mind with not being able to even contact SciLab, and now he had to worry about Lan's safety even more than before. Still, Megaman had to find a way to get in contact with SciLab.

It was then that Eclipse started to make his move. He threw one arm in the air, pointing to the sky. "Solar Darkness!" as he finished his words, Lan noticed that the sky, what little light there was left, began to grow even more dark. Again, he knew that this wasn't because of the time of day. Thankfully, he was able to recall this attack when Eclipse fought Megaman. He knew what was coming, and did his best to prepare for it.

However, in Lan's case, the only thing he could do to "prepare" for it was get ready to run in any direction that would take him to safety.

"This, Lan Hikari, is going to be the instrument of your demise!"  
"You have to hit me with your attack first, Eclipse!"  
"Don't think for a minute that I won't, Lan Hikari. Feel the power of space!"

The seemingly unusual solar eclipse appeared to have reached it's full extend. 'Now, if I remember correctly, there should be a dark...' Lan's thought was interrupted as the moon-like object began to emit a beam of darkness from it. The boy had to act quickly if he wanted to avoid getting hit by the beam.

Getting his thoughts in place and pulling his mind together, Lan jumped to the right of where he was standing, completely evading the beam. And, as if he thought it was going to follow him, Lan started rolling on his side in the direction he had jumped, trying to make sure that if the beam was going to follow him, he would have a head start and may completely stay out of the beam.

That was his only hope at that moment.

Meanwhile, Megaman had gone back inside the PET in hopes of finding a way to get in contact with Dr. Hikari to Famous. He still had to think of a way of getting around the communication block that Eclipse had put up. 'He said we can't contact SciLab directly...directly...'

It was then that it finally dawned on Megaman. "That's it! I can call Chaud and Protoman and have them reroute our call through their PET!" The Navi had shouted out the answer that he had been looking for. It was all falling into place. "If I can get a hold of Chaud and have him reroute our communication through his PET, I should be able to bypass Eclipse's block!"

Without another moment to lose, Megaman attempted to get a hold of Chaud. His only hope that was Chaud was back in the country and not still in Netopia. PETs were able to contact other PETs that were still in the same country as they were without any hassle. However, when it came to cross-continental PET communication, the only way to achieve that was to use NetNavi and talk via NetCity. All of this was because each country had it's own special network that was used for PET communication. The downside was that they were not compatible with all the others, and Megaman knew that because of that limitation, if Chaud was in another country on business, then his plan was all for not.

"Chaud! Chaud! It's Megaman. I need your help!"  
There was no answer on the other end.  
"Protoman! Come in. It's Megaman!"  
Still no answer on the other end.  
"Chaud! Protoman! Please! Someone answer me!"  
And still, there was no answer.

Megaman almost felt to his knees. He knew that unless he could successfully call up Chaud or Protoman, Lan was going to be in for a world of hurt. 'They can't be out of the country, not right now!' In what seemed like a futile attempt, Megaman continued to try and call up Chaud's PET. The Navi recalled traveling to Protoman's PET several months ago, and it was this hard trying to even get to the PET's Cyberworld.

And, things were about to continue to get worse. Once again, Megaman heard Lan scream. And, once again, the Navi activated the holographic projector to see what was going on.

As his hologram appeared, Megaman's vision was greeted to a sight of Lan literally running around in circles, attempting to avoid all of the attacks that Eclipse was dishing out. 'Oh, no! Lan!"

"Lan! Are you alright?"  
"Megaman. I'm...fine for...now."

The Navi could see that Lan had been keeping this up for a while now, and that was unnerving him even more. Lan was still recovering from his accident. He shouldn't be putting his body through all of the stress that it was being put through at the moment. Even more thoughts about Lan getting hurt filled Megaman's mind. It was starting to get to be too much for the Navi to handle. But, he knew that a job needed to get done, and he had to try Chaud at least one more time.

Disappearing from sight, Megaman returned to the PET and accessed the communication function. 'This has to work. Lan's life depends on it!'

"Chaud, please come in! Protoman! This is Megaman! Please respond!"

Once again, just like all of his other attempts, Megaman could not get a hold of either of the two. This time, the weight of so much pressure caused the Navi to collapse to the floor of the PET's Cyberworld. His one and only hope of helping Lan was gone. 'He's...he's not in the country. I...I...failed...' Tears began to well up in Megaman's eyes. Never once had he been completely unable to help Lan when the chips were down. Never once was he not able to be there for Lan when he needed it most. Never once had he not been able to do what needed to be done.

It seemed as though the universe itself was conspiring against him to prevent him from helping Lan in any way possible. Everything seemed to spell out disaster for the Navi and his NetOp. There was nothing that he could think of to get a message to SciLab.

But, it became apparent that miracles can happen.

"Megaman. What is going on?"

The Navi's eyes widened as he heard a very familiar, and much needed, voice. He quickly looked up from the floor, not even bothering to wipe away the tears that had already ran down his face.

As he looked up, he saw Chaud's face in a video feed.

"Chaud! I was afraid that I wouldn't reach you in time!"  
"Megaman, get a hold of yourself. What is happening?"  
"We don't have time to talk about it. Please, just patch me through to SciLab!"  
"Can't you do that..."  
"Just do it!"

The black and white-haired boy was surprised at Megaman's sudden change in attitude. He couldn't recall a time when he had seen the Navi this upset, not to mention demanding something rather than asking for it. To Chaud, that could only mean that something serious was wrong.

With a nod of his head, Chaud simply looked at Protoman on his screen, who then knew exactly what do to.

After pressing a few buttons on the PET and with help from Protoman, Chaud was able to reroute the transmission from Lan's PET through Chaud's, establishing a connection to SciLab.

In the primary meeting room, Dr. Hikari and Famous were having a discussion, when Megaman's face popped up on the large screen. "Dr. Hikari! Mr. Famous! Lan needs your help!"

Dr. Hikari immediately looked at the screen upon hearing Megaman claim that Lan was in danger. Like any father, Dr. Hikari was extremely worried, especially since Lan would normally be the one making a call if anything was needed from SciLab. For Megaman to be the one that was making the call was something that was both surprising and worrisome for the man. He wanted to say something, but it was Famous that would speak.

"What is it, Megaman? Is Lan in trouble?"  
"Just send a Dimensional Area to his location. There's no time to discuss it!"  
"It's that bad? Alright. Activating the Dimensional Area Generators!"

Flipping up a small panel on one of the control boards, Famous pressed a button, locking on a targeted location. After pressing another button, the computer displayed "Predesignated Target 1," which happened to be Lan's PET. Pressing another button, Famous initiated the startup sequence for the Dimensional Area Generators.

All that Dr. Hikari could do was looked, still unable to speak. 'Lan...please be ok.'

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"Lan Hikari! Hold still so that we don't have to play cat and mouse all day!"

Lan's constant movement was making it difficult to get a solid hit on him. This was causing Eclipse to become more angry by the minute. He had planned on just toying with the boy for a little while before he had actually killed him off, but he was starting to seriously consider forgoing all of the teasing and just going all out to end their skirmish in one attack.

However, it seemed that Eclipse wouldn't have to wait much longer. The amount of running that Lan had been doing was tiring his body out much faster than he had thought. His movements were getting slower. His reflexes were not as sharp as when he had first started evading the attacks, and his breathing was becoming more and more heavy. Megaman was inside his PET, listening to everything. He knew that until the Dimensional Area arrived, there wasn't much that he could do but look on and give words of encouragement.

"Just keep moving, Lan! Just hold him off a little longer!"  
"That's...getting really...hard to do...Mega...man..."  
"You can do it, Lan! I know you can. You have gotten into worse and still come out on top!"

But, Megaman knew that it wasn't going to last long. Unless the Dimensional Area got there, Lan was sure to get hurt.

And, as if the gods themselves were answering Megaman's unspoken prayers, above their heads, a flash of light appears, followed by horizontal waves of dim light emitting from the point of the initial flash of light. Megaman knew exactly what it meant, and he was overjoyed to see that the Dimensional Area had finally arrived.

However, Eclipse was not as happy as Megaman was. "What is this? I thought I blocked all communications from that brat's PET to SciLab!" The Navi was looked around frantically, as thought he was looking to unseen entities for an answer to his question. However, to his dismay, there was no one that was able to give him a response. Lan wasn't even sure how Megaman was able to get the message to SciLab, but he was happy that he was able to.

And, Megaman decided to seize the opportunity and get Lan's attention. "Lan! You have to listen to me quickly. We don't have much time!"

"Megaman? What is it?"  
"Just listen. You and I can beat this guy while we are inside a Dimensional Area. That is what this place is."  
"Really? Does it give us some kind of advantage?"  
"So to speak. What happens is that you have a special kind of BattleChip that allows you and me to become one person. It's called a SynchroChip."  
"Wait, you didn't tell me to bring something like that!"  
"Don't worry, Lan. You have it with you all the time. It is inside your BattleChip wristbands."

Lan felt around his wristbands. Sure enough, inside the one on his right wrist, he took out a chip that he hadn't noticed until then. "Is this it, Megaman?" Lan held up the chip to the Navi's hologram, making sure that he got the right object.

Megaman nodded. "That's it, Lan! Now, what you have to do is download it into your PET. From there, we will merge into one person. You will be able to do things that you can't normally do. You will be able to use BattleChips yourself, as well as my MegaBuster."

"Is it going to hurt at all?"  
"Not in the least. All that will happen is my armor materialize on you, at which point your strength, agility, speed, and other things will increase, as though you yourself were a NetNavi. But..."

The boy looked at the hologram on his shoulder with a puzzled look. He wanted to know what the catch was, as that was the only thing that he could think of that would prompt the Navi to add the "but" at the end of his statement. "But, what? What's wrong?"

"Well...In order for it to work, you and I have to be in perfect synchronization. We have to believe in each other, and put our complete trust in the other person. If we can't do that, a bond cannot be formed, and we won't be able to CrossFuse."

That seemed to be something that Lan wasn't sure he could do. Of course, he had trust in Megaman. He had been helping him since he was released from the hospital. And, of course he had trust in the Navi. Once again, he had been there for the boy since he got out of the hospital. But, Lan wasn't sure if he was up to the point where he could have complete, absolutely, undeniable trust in Megaman. At this point in time, given that he didn't remember a thing before waking up in the hospital, he wasn't sure he could put so much trust and belief in one person to the point that they would be in "perfect synchronization."

But, Lan also knew that unless something happened, Eclipse was going to get him injured, or even killed. "Alright. Let's do it, Megaman."

With Eclipse still distracted with the formation of the Dimensional Area and his own disbelief that his plan was starting to come undone, Lan and Megaman began their own plan for survival.

"Here goes nothing. SynchroChip in, Download!"

Lan pulled the PET off of his shoulder-strap and placed the chip inside of the device. Almost instantly, the device began to shimmer and shine. The boy looked on with awe before he became enclosed in a globe of light. Unfortunately, it wasn't much longer until Eclipse realized what was going on and looked in the direction of Lan. As he turned in the boy's direction, we saw the sphere of light with Lan inside. 'No! He can't use CrossFusion now. That will ruin our plans!'

Inside, pieces of armor began to materialize on parts of Lan's body. First came the boots and gloves, followed closely by the shoulderpads. At that moment, the chest emblem appeared in front of Lan, slowly descending onto his chest. As it made contact, the rest of his body began to glow signaling the appearance of the bodysuit. The boy looking on with amazement. He couldn't believe that him and Megaman could do something like this. It was something that he never would have imagined

And, same as Lan, Megaman was feeling much better about the situation. He knew that Lan wouldn't be able to do anything without his help in getting CrossFused. At this point, he knew that he could finally do something to defeat Eclipse, and not get Lan into any danger. It was at that moment that Megaman had finally felt happy for the first time in several days.

Until...

Something wasn't right. Megaman could feel it, but it was something that Lan wouldn't know. The Navi briefly looked around, seeing that the process was coming to a stop, which would not have been much of a problem, except that not everything had materialized on Lan. The Navi looked on as he saw the backpack and helmet fail to appear on Lan's body.

And, it was Lan who would be the one that be the one to say something as the sphere of light vanished. "Wow. This is so cool!" Truly, Lan was excited to see that he could do something like this. But, Megaman knew that something was wrong.

"Lan, this isn't everything."  
"What are you talking about, Megaman? I look so cool like this!"  
"Listen, Lan! Not everything materialized like it should have."  
"What's that mean? Did something go wrong?"  
"I think so. I'm not sure, but I..."

Megaman's statement was interrupted as he noticed that the armor was starting to slowly break up, the boots breaking into little pieces while it seemed the gloves were simply slipping off of the boy's hands. The Navi remembered something like this happening back when they first got the SynchroChip, and it turned out to be a near disaster. Megaman was recalling the time CrossFusion between him and Lan fell apart during their fight with Bubbleman.

And, he knew that what he saw could only mean one thing, and it was something he hoped would not happen.

In almost an instant, everything on Lan fell apart. The boots and gloves disappeared from sight, the shoulderpads became nothing but pixilated debris, the chest emblem vanished before his eyes, and the bodysuit was literally ripped into shreds before seemingly dissolving into the air.

Lan looked at himself in confusion, while Megaman had feelings of dread, worry, depression, and all manner of saddening feelings. "Hey, Megaman. What just happened?"

Megaman was going to respond, but it was Eclipse that just started laughing hysterically.

"Hahaha! What is this? Do not tell me that even with the appearance of a Dimensional Area that Lan Hikari and Megaman cannot use CrossFusion! Now, that is something for the record books. My superiors in the UnderNet Mafia will be glad to hear that they don't have to worry about Lan Hikari as much as they thought!"

"Megaman...what happened?"  
"Lan, I...I don't know. Everything was...going fine!"  
"You know this stuff better than I do! What could have caused this?"  
"I don't know, Lan! I thought everything...was fine!"

Lan couldn't believe what he was hearing. From what Megaman had told him, CrossFusion seemed to be their trump card in case things started taking a turn for the worst. To Lan, he thought Megaman made it sound as though it was something that did almost every single day and it was going to be a cakewalk for the both of them. However, at that point, Lan wasn't sure if it was all just hype that the Navi was creating, or even if this was actually the first time they had attempted it. He couldn't remember for the life of him when they used CrossFusion last. Then again, he still couldn't remember a lot, and this was no exception.

While Lan was in his own thoughts, Eclipse simply continued to mock the both of them. "For a pair that used your precious CrossFusion in almost every situation you have been in, your inability to use it now when you need it most is highly entertaining. But, it is such a shame that my entertainment must come to an end."

'I don't like the sound of that,' Megaman thought, knowing that Eclipse was finally going to be putting even more pressure in Lan now that he was done toying with the boy. "Now that I am done having my fun with you, Lan Hikari, it is time we end this little farce."

With almost lightning speed, Eclipse ran to Lan in an attempted to strike him now. The speed was so quick that even Megaman's hologram on Lan's shoulder wasn't even able to keep up with the UnderNet Mafia agent. Lan knew that if was going to avoid the incoming attack, you only have a 50/50 chance of picking the right direction if he jumped left or right.

Hope that he was going to pick the right direction, and not having time to make any kind of informed choice, Lan jumped to the left of where he was standing. Megaman simply looked on, hoping for the best, but also dreading the worse.

With lightning speed, Eclipse finally got to Lan's spot and made one slash at the boy, barely making contact, but just enough to cause a rip in his vest. Luckily for Lan, the cut wasn't deep enough to have gotten to his shirt to skin. So, at least for the moment, he was unharmed by the attack.

Eclipse, who had stopped himself several yards away from Lan, turned around and spoke. "You still have the strength to oppose me, even without your precious CrossFusion. I should commend you for such bravery."

"Excuse me if I don't seem flattered at the moment."  
"Your sarcasm doesn't fall on deaf ears, Lan Hikari. This next attack will be your end."  
"You actually have to get to me first!"

With the trash talk aside, Eclipse proceeded to commence another attack on the boy. This time, he moved even faster than the previous attack. Lan was caught more off guard this time around than the latter. And, to his shock and dismay, the slash from Eclipse caught his left side, ripping both his vest, shirt, and even cutting into his skin. The boy let out a loud hiss of pain, feeling the stinging sensation from the skin being ripped apart.

"LAN! Are you alright?" Megaman was even more worried and desperate than before. Lan had had a bit of an upper-hand before this point with being able to avoid the attacks and with Eclipse himself holding back. However, now was different. Now that Eclipse was close to going all out and Lan losing his advantage over the other Navi, he was going be on the losing end of the battle in a hurry.

"I'm fine...Megaman. Just a little...cut, is all."  
"You have to get out of here, Lan. Find cover somewhere! I don't want you getting hurt anymore!"  
"I have to stay, Megaman. It's my duty as a NetSaver!"

Eclipse attacked again, barely missing Lan in the process, but once again cutting the boy on right side. There was another attack, this time aimed at his legs, ripping his shorts a little and making contact with his skin once more. Another attack, and another injury. Megaman looked on with horror. 'There has to be something I can do! There just...has to be a way!'

Inside his head, Megaman tried to think of something...someway to use the Dimensional Area in order to defeat Eclipse. He knew that there wasn't much time left before Lan would soon collapse to the onslaught that the UnderNet Mafia agent was putting him through. The Navi knew that without some kind of miracle, Lan wasn't going to last longer, and then he himself would be next on the Mafia's hit list.

'There has to be something...a program that I use to...' Just then, it hit Megaman like a five-ton truck of bricks. He had been concentrating so much on getting CrossFusion to work for him and Lan that he had completely overlooked something that could have been used in the very beginning to have brought the attack to a conclusion quickly. 'Why didn't I think of it before?' Megaman mentally kicked himself for overlooking something so simple. The Navi closed his eyes and began to concentrate...

As for Lan, he now had multiple cuts across his legs, arms, and torso. The attacks from Eclipse were starting to get more and more accurate, either because he was getting better at hitting a moving target, or Lan was getting slower due to dealing with the amount of pain or his own fatigue. "You have proven to be a much more formidable adversary than I thought you would be, Lan Hikari. For that, you have my highest commendations and respect. But, all good things must come to an end. And, I am afraid that your end is here, Lan Hikari."

Grinning to himself and softly snickering, Eclipse began what he thought to be his final strike on the boy. 'Let's see...I'll just go right for between the eyes. Quick and painless, at least that is what they say. Hehe.' The Navi posed himself, ready to make his final strike on the boy in front of him, who was now on his knees.

"This is it, Lan Hikari. Disappear!"

As Eclipse made his charge forward, he was brought to an abrupt stop. A ball of pinkish-purple energy came out of what seemed like nowhere, impacting the Navi on his chest. The unexpected attack forced Eclipse to his knees. Lan looked up from the ground, the very thing that he had been looking down at as he expected this to have been his final moment.

To his surprise, he was greeted with the sight of Eclipse kneeling on the ground just like him. 'Wha...what is he doing?' The boy had missed what happened, and was left wondering why Eclipse was now on the ground with him. 'Is he just toying with me again?'

"Who...Who would dare shoot me like that!" The anger and frustration in Eclipse's eyes could be seen a mile away. He had Lan right where he wanted him. He was going to complete his mission and bring the UnderNet Mafia even closer to achieving their goals. And now, someone had the audacity to, not only make a stand against him, but also attempted to injure him.

"It was me, Eclipse. Don't take another step towards Lan!"

Right in front of the boy, a figure came down from above, landing several feet in front of him. Lan wasn't sure who it was, but the voice sounds so familiar to him. The smoke that was generated from the explosion that the ball of energy caused was starting to dissipate. From within it, Lan saw the figure in front of him starting to clear up more and more. The color of the figure's clothing was becoming much easier to see...if you could call it clothing. Lan took note that the person in front of him was wearing what looked like a backpack and a helmet, with just a little bit of hair coming out of the bottom of the helmet. It didn't quite hit him at that moment, but it came fairly soon afterwards. He was in disbelief as to how it happened, but the boy knew that there was no mistake.

The person in front of him was his own NetNavi, Megaman.

"Megaman! How dare you interrupt my little farce with your NetOp. You will pay dearly for that!"  
"The only one that is going to regret anything here is you!"  
"And, what makes you think I will even have any regrets?"

Megaman stared at the other Navi intensely, even as the other Navi spoke once more. "Do you honestly think that someone like me would have any kind of regrets when it comes to my missions? If I fail, then I fail. If I succeed, then I have achieved victory. There is no sense in dwelling on what I could have done or what I should have done. Don't think for a minute that I will look back at this battle and think any different!"

It looked at though Eclipse was going to speak some more, but Megaman had no intention of letting him do so. Without warning, he came charging at the UnderNet Mafia agent with full force, sticking his MegaBuster directly on top of the other Navi's chest emblem. Eclipse looked down, noticing that the MegaBuster was starting to charge up, ready to unleash whatever energy was gathering inside it's barrel.

He looked at Megaman's eyes, and saw an intensity that he had rarely ever seen in his opponents. The look in Megaman's eyes told Eclipse that he was willing and ready to give up anything and everything if it meant that he had to protect Lan. The ferocity and zeal in his moments were also proof of his devotion to his NetOp. Even more Megaman, these were feelings that he rarely ever felt, even if the situation was more dire than it was right now. He couldn't remember the last time he was ready to give it everything he got in order to protect the one that he held the closest to his heart.

However, Eclipse wasn't going to let Megaman off that easily. "So, you still have some moves left in you. However, so do I!" In one swift motion, Eclipse placed his hands on Megaman's head, pushed the other Navi down, and seemed to pole vault above him before the MegaBuster released the energy inside of it's firing chamber. Megaman was surprised at the sudden movement.

The Charged Shot had completely missed Eclipse.

'No! I missed," Megaman thought to himself, still surprised by the lightning fast reflexes of his opponent. He turned around to see Eclipse behind him, but that wasn't the worst of it. As if right out of some ninja movie, Eclipse had already ran back up to Megaman and pulled out a sword, positioning it across his neck. Megaman's eyes caught a glimpse of the sword, which seemed to be comprised of nothing but nebula-related gases.

"Don't make a move, Megaman. This sword isn't as harmless as it looks."  
"I won't let you hurt Lan anymore, Eclipse. Do what you want to me, but leave him out of it."  
"Oh, don't worry about it. My intention was never to actually kill of your NetOp."  
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

Eclipse slowly lowered his sword from Megaman's knee, and then making it disappear as thought it was nothing but just a collection of gases. Taking a few steps back, he started grinning. Megaman didn't like the look on Eclipse's face. 'If he wasn't sent here to kill Lan and me, then why was he sent here? And, why did he hide is true intentions?' The Navi's mind started racing with all different kinds of abilities. He knew that Eclipse was the UnderNet Mafia's chief Intelligence Officer. So, Megaman figured that it had to do with something along those lines. But, what it was exactly, was still in question.

Fortunately, Megaman just decided to ask the source directly. "Then why are you here? I thought you said you were here to end Lan's life!" Megaman was agitated by the other Navi, who seemed to have lied the entire battle.

"Well, I did say that, didn't I?"  
"Yeah, and you haven't done so. You lied to us!"  
"Oh, really? I recall saying I was sent to end his life. I never said WHEN I would."

Megaman's eyes widened upon hearing the statement from Eclipse. And, the other Navi could see what Megaman was thinking, which only made him laugh, as well as only talk more. "I can see it on your face and in your eyes, Megaman. Since it isn't a matter of how, but rather when, Lan Hikari will die, you want to know 'when' that time comes, don't you?" It was as if Eclipse was reading Megaman's mind.

But, the talking didn't stop there, at least for the moment. "And, you can wonder all you want, Megaman. My exact mission is on a 'need to know' basis, and right now, neither you nor Lan Hikari need to know."

"Of course Lan and I have to know! It's his life!"  
"Unfortunately, our plans are of no concern to you, Megaman. You only need to concern yourself with staying alive."  
"And, we will! We have never fallen to the likes of you!"  
"You are very full of yourself, Megaman. And, that is admirable. However, overconfidence can be your downfall."

With that, Eclipse started to walk away from both Lan and Megaman. He took several steps away from the pair, only to be stopped dead in his tracks when Megaman yelled out to him. "Where do you think you are going? We are not done talking!" Eclipse heard Megaman yell and instinctively turned around to face the Navi. However, instead of talking, he raised his left arm and pointed the palm of his hand towards Megaman. The blue-clad Navi immediately took a defensive stance, ready for anything that Eclipse would throw at him.

But, instead of a fight, Eclipse simply made one last statement. "Now is not the time. I got the information I desired, and it is time for me to bid you both, adieu."

At that moment, a beam if red light was emitted from his hand. The beam of light went past Megaman's head and then made contact with a small control panel across the crater. To anyone else, it would have looked like Eclipse had attacked and missed, but Megaman knew better. He watched as Eclipse disappeared from sight, leaving nothing but an empty Copyroid behind.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Megaman started to walk over to Lan, hoping that the boy was not hurt too much. However, to the Navi's shock, Lan was on the ground, but was using his legs and hands to back away the more that he came closer.

"Lan? What's wrong?"  
"Don't come closer!"  
"Lan, you don't have to..."  
"I said STAY AWAY!"

The boy was shouting at this point. Megaman stopped in his tracks, mainly because he was in shock since he didn't know what had Lan so spooked. But, it was also because he didn't want to make the boy worry even more than he apparently already was. There was a silence between the two of them, with only the sound of the Dimensional Area collapsing, followed by the far off sounds of people talking and cars honking their horns, desperately trying to get traffic to move along.

Megaman took a good look at Lan's eyes. He could see that there was fear in them, but he couldn't understand why Lan was so afraid of him. It was something he had to address. "Lan, please tell me what's wrong."

"You...you are here, that's what's wrong!"  
"Why is that wrong?"  
"Because you are not suppose to be here!"  
"What?"

Lan slowly stood up, struggling to get his balance after suffering the relentless attacks from Eclipse not too long ago. "You told me before that the only way a NetNavi can be in the real world is by using a Copyroid, and you said they were illegal. That can only mean you are doing something you aren't suppose to! If whoever Eclipse is with uses those, then why are you using their stuff? Explain that!"

Megaman could clearly see that Lan was upset over this, and he did recall telling the boy about the Copyroids and how they were illegal. The only thing that could have saved him from explaining to Lan that he was using the M-Program was that NetNavi can still appear inside a Dimensional Area by using special cyber-links. However, given the situation, Megaman wasn't sure if Lan would even believe that, even though it was true.

Still Megaman had to say something. He had to try and explain everything, but still avoid disclosing the M-Program. He didn't think the boy was ready for that yet. "Lan, please listen. This isn't what you think. It isn't even close."

"Shut up! I don't want to hear any of your lies!"

The Navi was at a lose. He didn't know how he could explain things and still keep what little of Lan's trust he still had. Simply appearing in the real world without any genuine explanation was something that already seemed to cause a lot of tensions to start running high, especially for Lan. Megaman, on the other hand, was more worried about how this was going to effect his already strained relationship with the boy, given that their CrossFusion completely fell apart even before it the process was done.

But, yet again, Megaman's unsaid prayers were answered by someone else. "Lan, you need to calm down."

The Navi and Lan both looked in the direction the voice was coming from. A figure was standing at the top of a small pile of rubble and debris. And, just as Megaman was hoping, his hope paid off.

The person was none-other-than Chaud himself.

"Hey! You're that guy from the NetPolice...Chaud, right?"  
"Right, Lan. Now, keep quiet for a moment and listen. And, don't say a thing until I am done."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

_**Have you ever had to love someone,  
**__**That just don't feel the same.  
**__**Tryin' to make somebody care for you  
**__**The way I do  
**__**Is like tryin to catch the rain  
**__**And, if love is really forever,  
**__**I'm a winner at a losin' game**_

_~~!~~  
__~~!~~_

**-Friday-**

Lan was sitting in class, waiting for the bell to ring which signaled the end of the school day. There were several scabs across his arms and legs, all of them caused by yesterday's attack by Eclipse. The scabs on his arms didn't show, as he was still wearing his normal long-sleeved white shirt and orange vest. The only injuries that the rest of his peers could see were the ones on his legs. And, not to Lan's surprise, many of them asked how he got so many. Even Ms. Mari was a little worried as to how they came to be. He simply told all of them that he found a stray cat that decided to use his legs as a scratching post. Many of them believed him. However, Ms. Mari was a little skeptical of his explanation, as well as his close friends knowing better than that.

Still, everyone just smiled and nodded their heads.

The boy stared up at the clock, noting how slowly the second was moving, and how much more time before the bell would ring. 'Only a minute left.' The boy was so fixated on the clock that he was completely ignoring whatever lesson Ms. Mari was giving at the time. Fortunately for him, his teacher didn't seem to notice that one of her students was spacing out and staring blankly at the classroom clock.

_-Bing, bing, bing, bing-_

"Oh, well, everyone. That's it for today! Make sure you brainstorm some more ideas for your quarterly projects! I want some finalized ideas by Monday. Have a good weekend, everyone!"

The students said their goodbyes to Ms. Mari, all the while causing a lot of ruckus and noise from grabbing their books, talking to their friends, as well as almost running out of the classroom so they can get home quicker. Lan, however, was a little more relax than that. He was still hurting a little from the day before, and he didn't feel like running out of the school and getting home, even though he wanted to use what time he had to get ready for his date with Maylu.

And, speak of devil, as Lan was getting the last of his books into his backpack, Maylu came up next to his desk to talk. "Hey, Lan!"

"Hey, Maylu."  
"Are you ready for our 'outing' tonight?"  
"If you want to call it, that, I guess I am."  
"You remember what time you are picking me up, right?"

Lan had to think for a moment. He did tell her a time, but with everything that happened the yesterday, he was still a little slow in recalling information. It took him a few moments, but Lan remembered the time. "5:30, right?" As luck would have it, Maylu wasn't upset at all by the amount of time it took the boy to remember. He thought for sure she might have made a big deal about it. 'I guess I was just over-thinking.'

"Right. I'll see you then, Lan!" Without another word, Maylu packed up her bag and left the classroom. Even if it was something that only happened recently, Lan was actually looking forward to his date with Maylu. He felt that she was someone that was special to him, and that he needed to really pay a lot of attention to her.

"LAN! How could you do that to me?"

The boy turned about to see Dex standing to his other side. Apparently, he had overheard everything that Maylu and Lan were talking about. "How could you ask Maylu out on a date, Lan?" It looked at though Dex was about to break down in tears. Lan was about to feel sorry for it, but realized that the other boy was just being over-dramatic, as Yai grabbed the larger boy by the ear. "Oh, give me a break, Dex. You had your chance, more than once!"

"Dex was just waiting for the right moment, guts guts."  
"Gutsman is right, Yai. I was just waiting for the right moment!"  
"There were many 'right' moments. You were just too dense to realize they were there."  
"Hey, Yai! I didn't ask for your opinion!"  
"You say that a lot, Dex, but you still get it anyway!"

The two of them continued to argue for a few moments before Lan decided to jump in, remembering that him and Dex were somewhat rivals, apparently in more ways than one. "Well, Dex. If you really do like Maylu, you should have asked before I did." Lan stood up and did a "turn to the side, cross your arms, toss your head up" movement, as if trying to prove a point, but also get under the other boy's skin. "You missed your chance. So, it's only right that I get my shot."

Dex stopped his argument with Yai and hung his head in, dejected. "Well...you didn't have to say it like that.." However, the small girl standing next to him once again spoke up, seeing that the larger of the two boys was being over-dramatic again.

"There he goes again."  
"Be quiet, you big forehead girl!"  
"HOW DARE YOU?"

Their fight continued on. Lan, however, was not in too much of a mood to listen to the two of them duke it up. Instead, he left the classroom and decided that now was the time to go home and get ready for his night out with Maylu. 'Wow. I can't believe that day is already here. I can't wait to see if she likes it.'

As Lan reached the courtyard, he peered past the gates and saw a familiar person standing at the exit to the school. He knew right off the bat that it wasn't his father or mother. It wasn't Tory or Maylu, as he knew that they had left already. Instead, it happened to be Megaman, out and about in the real world.

Lan stopped walking and stared at the figure, still in somewhat disbelief, remembering what happened the the day before.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"_Right, Lan. Now, keep quiet for a moment and listen. And, don't say a thing until I am done."_

_The voice was commanding, even for Chaud. Megaman was aware of that, but for Lan, it was something that he had thought was normal for the black and white haired boy. Chaud walked down from the pile of rubble and proceeded in the direction that Lan was. As he was walking, Protoman's hologram appeared on his shoulder. Megaman was hoping that the other Navi was there to help explain things a little better than he could. At this point, Lan was more likely to listen to a third-party than Megaman._

"_Alright, Lan. Here is the deal. A while back, before your accident, your father was working on a program that allowed NetNavis to appear in the human world, as though they were humans themselves."_

_'Wait...he is exposing the M-Program! Chaud, please don't do that!' Megaman immediately started thinking of the worst possible outcome. He was sure that Lan was not ready to hear such information. He figured the boy was still getting use to everything else with NetNavis that adding in this piece of information was only going to make things worse. As much as Megaman wanted to protest, he couldn't find the strength to say a word._

_Chaud continued with his speech. "During it's experimental phase, Protoman was to be the first to receive this program, called the 'M-Program.' However, things didn't go as planned. We had to pulled the plug on the experiment for fear that Protoman was going to be deleted."_

"_Wait, if Protoman was going to..."  
_"_Lan, didn't I tell you not to talk until I was done?"_

_Lan hung his head in defeat, allowing for Chaud to proceed with his story. "Anyway, the next day, your class went on a field trip to SciLab, where you were attacked by an UnderNet Mafia agent named Cannonman. Your CrossFusion with Megaman came undone due to a blast from the Giga-Cannon Program Advanced." Lan was now listening intently to what the other boy was saying. It was an interesting story, to say the least, and the fact that Lan didn't remember a single thing about it made it even more interesting._

"_Desperate to make sure that you were safe, Megaman decided that he should give the M-Program a chance to be uploaded into his NetNavi database. During the upload, he started to experience the same problems as Protoman. However, instead of pulling the plug, we let it continue. After what seemed like Megaman getting deleted, he appeared and battled with Cannonman, winning the fight."_

_The other boy stood there, thinking that there was more to the story than that. However, Chaud's next comment proved his wrong. "That's it. You can talk now."_

"_So...Megaman has this M-Program thing inside him?"  
_"_That's right, Lan. He can move between the real and Cyberworlds whenever he so chooses. And, he doesn't need a copyroid in order to do it."_

_Lan looked at Megaman, a certain degree of anger was on his face. "Then, why didn't he tell me earlier?" The Navi new that the comment was directed at him, even though it sounded as though Lan was addressing Chaud. Obviously, Chaud was thinking the same thing, but decided that he should speak up._

"_That is something you have to ask him. Anyway, you should probably get your wounds looked at."_

~~!~~  
~~!~~

'He told me he didn't want to overwhelm me with so many things.'

Even if Lan knew that Megaman was right, it still seemed as thought there was more to everything than what the Navi was willing to tell the boy. It just seemed that the Navi was very secretive about things, and that fact was making Lan feel more and more uncomfortable while he was near Megaman. It wasn't that he didn't trust him, but with the amount of secrets that he had been keeping from the boy, Lan just didn't seem to feel safe around the Navi anymore.

They barely spoke to each other on their walk home. There was one or two comments about what happened the day before and the amount of damage that was caused. Ribitta had reported on the Eclipse attack on the morning news, nothing out of the ordinary. However, the real story was that SciLab was now getting hounded by reporters and investigative journalists who were looking to get the full story on the M-Program which aired on Ribitta's morning news report several days ago. It was getting harder and harder for the SciLab officials to respond to the reporters and keep the undercover ones out of the inner parts of the building. There were literally news vans parked out of the building 24/7 now.

That was causing Dr. Hikari, Famous, and all of the SciLab stuff much more stress than they cared to have.

Finally, the two boys got home, where Lan opened the front door and was greeted to the sight of his mother doing a little bit of cleaning around the house. "Welcome home, Lan, Megaman!"

"Hi, Mom. What time is it?"

The two of them went into the kitchen to talk. Megaman knew it was going to be more than just talk. He figured that Lan was probably going to talk to his mother about the date tonight, which he had already gotten permission to go out on. So, in order to stay out of the way, Megaman just went into the living room and turned the TV on, sitting down on the couch in the process.

There wasn't much on TV in the afternoon. Many of the good shows were on during the evening. That was when the Prime Time airings of sitcoms, dramas, and all other sort of shows were on. Megaman flipped through the channels to see if anything caught is eye. There wasn't much to pick from. Most of the shows were 'after-school specials' that focused around things that Megaman didn't have much of an interest in.

However, something was strange about the shows today. As he was flipping through, Megaman noticed that many of the shows had themes that revolved about kids lying to their best friends and hurting their feelings, only to tell the truth in the end to make amends. It was as if the universe was telling Megaman to be completely honest with Lan; to tell him everything that happened before the accident, even the things that he didn't want to tell Lan until the right was right.

'Protoman...Protoman told me that if I truly to love Lan, I will let him do what makes him happy, not what makes me happy.' Those words were echoed in his head over and over again. However, it still didn't feel right.

'But...what if I am not being a good friend...what if I am wrong?'

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"I'm leaving, Mom!"  
"Have a good night out, Lan! Make sure you are home before ten!"  
"I will! Goodbye!"

Lan had walked out the door, leaving to go and pick Maylu up so they could go on their date. Megaman had been gone upstairs as per Mrs. Hikari's suggestion earlier than evening. She and told the Navi that he should help Lan pick out something to wear, since the boy didn't pick anything out the night before.

The only problem with that plan was that Lan and Megaman were not on the most talkative terms at the moment. The Navi wanted to explain that to the boy's mother, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her that they were not really liking the other's company all that much at the moment. So, Megaman just silently listened and went upstairs, and didn't come down until Lan had left.

And, as he came downstairs, he was intercepted by Mrs. Hikari. He didn't feel like talking at the moment, but he knew he had no other choice in the matter.

"Hey, Megaman! Were you able to help Lan pick out something?"  
"Well...not really. He already had an idea of what was going to wear."  
"Really? Well, do tell! What did her wear?"  
"Umm...he decided just to wear what he normally wears."  
"What he normally wears? That's not really suited for a date."  
"He said...he was the most comfortable in them."  
"Well, if he felt comfortable in them, then I guess I can't complain."

Megaman simply nodded his head before walking back upstairs and into Lan's bedroom. He took a quick seat at the deck and just stared blankly at his PET. He had told Lan that he can't go more than a thousand kilometers away from the PET before things starting to go wrong. So, Lan decided to leave the device at home where Megaman was and take money from a little jar he had in his room. Ironically enough, that jar was for money that Lan was saving up to buy BattleChips. The Navi knew that Lan before his accident wouldn't spend that money on anything but BattleChips.

But, Megaman knew that it couldn't be help. He got up off of the chair and walked over to the bed. He couldn't explain it, but he was just really tired that day. Maybe it was because it was the day that Lan was going on his date, and Megaman was stressed over it, or maybe it was just the stress over Lan's accident. Either way, the Navi just wanted to rest for a little bit before Lan got home.

And before falling asleep, Megaman had one thought. 'If I love him, I'll let him be happy.'

~~!~~  
~~!~~

"This is really fun, Lan!"

Lan and Maylu had been wandering around the DenTech Tower for an hour now. They had already eaten a dinner at one of the fast food stands on the lower floors of the tower, and they were now around the arcades. They both decided that there were no good movies playing. So, there was no need for them to go to the theater to see any.

Lan smiled. "Yeah. It's been a great night. I'm having a blast!"

Maylu grabbed Lan by the hand, almost dragging him into a nearby arcade that seemed to have a lot more games in it than the rest of them on the floor. And, of course, it was also the busiest of the arcades on that floor.

"It's really busy here, Lan. Do we really want to wait this long?"  
"We don't have to. If you want, we can just go to another arcade."  
"Well...we could, or we could go to the Observation Deck. I hear the views from up there are breathtaking"  
"Sure. That sounds like fun!"

The children left the crowded arcade and went over to one of the nearby elevators. Coincidently, as they approached it, the door opened and ushered several people out of it, mostly other kids accompanied by their parents. As there was no one left in the elevator, Lan and Maylu went inside where the boy pressed the button for the second to top floor, which was labeled 'Observation Lounge.'

The ride was rather long, but well worth the wait.

As they both stepped out of the elevator, they were both greeted to the sight of a city that was just during dark. Many of the buildings still had their office lights on, while others were off, but illuminated by the other offices surrounding them. The radiance of the streetlights, vehicle headlights and tail lights, as well as the stoplights, all danced below them in a medley of color.

"Wow! It's like you said, Maylu. This view is amazing!"  
"Yeah. It really is something else."  
"You know, this has been a great night, Maylu."  
"It sure has, Lan."  
"Hey! You know what would make it better?"

Maylu was taken aback by the question. Of course, the one thing that could make the night the best ever for her if Lan decided that now was a great time to kiss her. It was a moment that she had waited for for a very long time. And, to be honest, she was hoping that tonight was going to be the night that Lan gave her the kiss she wanted so badly.

Eager to answer the question, but also be coy about it, Maylu spoke. "I don't know. What do you think, Lan?" The girl was hoping that, at that moment, Lan would slowly walk towards her, put one hand on her waist and the other on her cheek, as he gingerly would move his face closer to hers until their lips made contact. It would have been the first kiss of her dreams...

But, her dreams would be shattered by what was said next. "Ice cream! I'll get us a few cones!" As though it felt like a knife had been put in her heart, Maylu almost made a face of disappointment. She was putting so much hope into that moment, only to have it all ripped away from her. But, she knew she had to say something about what Lan was proposing. "Oh...sure. I'll have strawberry flavor."

"Alright. I'll be right back!"

And, with that, Lan walked away from Maylu to go to an ice cream stand that was a few yards away from them. The girl felt rejected. She had put all that hope in that one moment, and now that the moment was gone, and her hopes shattered, she didn't feel like being happy about the date anymore.

But, she was not the only one there. Roll had decided to come along, as well. "Maylu, you know this isn't right."

The pink-colored Navi appeared on Maylu's shoulder, with almost a scolding look on her face. "I was there when you talked with Megaman at the hospital. If he and Lan are suppose to be 'together,' then you should be a good friend and tell him."

"I know, Roll. It's just...I really wanted that one moment...this one date."  
"I'm sure if you had just asked Lan before, he would have said yes."  
"We don't know that, Roll. I mean, we don't know long he and Megaman have been a...couple."  
"That doesn't matter. He could have just taken you out as a friend. That wouldn't have been so bad."  
"...I guess you're right, Roll."

Their conversation seemed to come to a stop as Lan started to come back with the ice cream cones in his hands. But, Roll seemed to not be done talking. Instead, she put in once last comment before Lan arrived. "Maylu, please do the right thing. Tell Lan the truth." The girl simply nodded her head softly, so softly that Lan didn't even notice she even moved. She also had to quickly change her facial expression, which was really sad after he talk with Roll. She didn't want to worry Lan, but she just couldn't force herself to change her mood so quickly.

Handing Maylu her cone, Lan spoke again. "I'm back! Here's your ice..." Lan looked at Maylu, whose face was still showing more than obvious signs of sadness. The boy thought for sure that he was doing everything right. He couldn't figure out what he did wrong to have gotten Maylu upset like she looked at that moment. But, he had to ask. "Maylu...is something wrong?"

The girl looked up, staring straight into Lan's eyes.

"Lan...I have to tell you something..."

~~!~~  
~~!~~

_**Ooh, ooh, ooh **_

_**if love is really forever  
I'm a winner at a losin' game**_

~~!~~  
~~!~~

**_Well, there we have it, folks! Chapter 16 is now complete!_**

**_I know it took almost 6 months in order to get this chapter out, and I am SOOOO sorry for that, but things in life have been a royal pain in the ass._**

**_And, speaking of life, I actually have something to say that I really don't want to. But, I know it has to be done. So, here it goes..._**

**_With everything that has been happening to me in real-life, from taking on more hours at work to selling the house to avoid it being foreclosed upon, I haven't had a lot of time to dedicate to this story. And so, since I don't believe I can spare the time to work on this story and do what needs to be done IRL, I am hereby canceling Memories and will not be updating it anymore. I know that I have a few loyal followers, and I really do hate disappointing you, but I just can't get the time to continue writing this._**

**_If you wish to talk about this more, you can send me a private message via my profile. I'll try to answer your questions and comments to the best of my abilities._**

**_So, finally, I want to thank all of my readers and reviews who put forth the time to read and comment on my work. Your input has meant a lot to me, and I hope that in the future, time permitting, I will be able to be graced with your words again._**

**_So long, and I will see you all later. I know I will!_**


	17. Chapter 17: A Night to Remember

**_Hey everyone!_**

**_I really do hope that my April Fool's joke didn't terrify anyone much. After all, it was just a joke! But, I do hope that you guys can find it in your hearts to forgive a writer like me. I just saw the opportunity to try it out, and I couldn't pass it up._**

**_Anyway! Getting away from the past, let's focus on the future! We last left Lan off with Maylu about to have a talk him. What could it have been about? Who knows? (Well, I do, and you will soon, as well!)_**

**_Before we begin, I should warn you that this chapter is going to be filled with lemony goodness. It is also the chapter that you, the readers, voted on (this was several months back). So, this is what you voted on, and this is what you are going to get! Please also note that both Megaman and Lan may seem a little out-of-character in this chapter. Bare with me while I attempt to keep them as close to their actual personalities as possible._**

**_And now, I present to you: Chapter 17 – A Night to Remember!_**

~~!~~  
~~!~~

**-Friday Night-**

The house was quiet that evening. Dr. Hikari was back at SciLab doing some more research into the problems that Megaman had been encountering with the M-Program recently. The Navi was having more and more difficulty in establishing a NetLine and using it to get to the human world and back to the Cyberworld. When it was first installed, Megaman had absolutely no problem. In fact, it had gotten easier the more the Navi used the program. However, something seemed to be off, and it was starting to become a worry to both Dr. Hikari and Megaman alike.

Mrs. Hikari was finishing up some cleaning in the kitchen. It was normally the last place in the house that she would clean before relaxing for the rest of the evening, which consisted of mostly sitting on the couch and watching some TV before she went to bed for the night. Normally, she would be getting tired right now, but since Lan had still not come home yet, she decided to push herself to stay awake until the boy returned.

Megaman, on the other hand, was upstairs. There wasn't much for him to do inside his PET. So, instead, he decided to stay in the human world and just sit at Lan's desk. 'If I love him, then I have to set him free...' The thought was running over and over in the Navi's mind, constantly and seemingly without an end. His talk with Protoman had had such an impact on his thinking recently. He was thinking more than he was acting, which was something that he thought he would not be doing much of.

"Lan...I love you...but, if you want to be with Maylu..." He couldn't finish his sentence, not because he was speaking out loud, but he wasn't sure if he could. He loved the boy, more than anything in the world. But, was he really at the point where he could accept that Lan could never possibly love him back again? The mere thought was tearing at the Navi from the inside out.

While still deep in thought, Megaman heard the front door open. He knew that Dr. Hikari was not going to be home anytime that night. So, there was only one other person that would have come inside the house.

Lan.

He got up from the chair and started walking towards the bedroom door, which he had closed behind him. Opening the door, Megaman could hear Lan and his mother talking. They weren't talking loudly, but the Navi was still able to hear their conversation.

"How was your date, Lan?"  
"I...don't want to talk about it."  
"You don't want to talk about it? Was it bad?"  
"I...I just don't want to talk about it. I just want to be left alone for a little bit..."

Megaman slowly walked down the stairs, seeing that Mrs. Hikari had nodded her head in understanding. She had figured that the boy's night out did not go as planned and, therefore, found that it would be best to wait for him to open up rather than push the issue anymore. The boy walked by his mother and towards the stairs, where he saw Megaman at the top.

Then, something strange happened. When Lan looked up, he immediately turned his head away, not making any kind of eye contact with Megaman whatsoever. The Navi couldn't figure out why Lan would do that, not to mention that he felt hurt that his best friend wouldn't even look in his direction. 'Does he still not trust me that much?' Megaman couldn't figure it out. Aside from lying about the M-Program, he had been completely honest with the boy.

Lan slowly ascended the staircase, not moving his head in the direction of Megaman. Even as he past the Navi at the top of the stairs, he did not even bother to say "hello" or anything. It was as if the Megaman was completely non-existent to the boy. And, that alone made the Navi feel even worse than he already did.

So, instead of waiting for Lan to make the first comment, Megaman did instead. "Hey, Lan. How was your date with..." The Navi was quickly interrupted by the boy.

"I don't want to talk about it."  
"Come on, Lan. You have to."  
"Who said I have to? I don't want to, so I won't."  
"Lan...I just want to know if things went ok."  
"I'll talk about it when I want to, alright Megaman?"

There was a cold tone in Lan's voice. It was a tone of voice that the Navi had rarely, if ever, heard come from the boy. He knew that something must have happened on the date with Maylu, but Megaman couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was. But, he did figure out that whatever it was, it had to have been something that was having a considerable impact on the boy.

As much as Megaman wanted to know what it was, he knew that if he kept pressing the issue, that things might not work out for the best. His thinking was starting to mirror that of Mrs. Hikari, who was downstairs watching the evening news.

Quietly nodding his head, Megaman went over to Lan's bed and sat down, while the other boy sat at his desk. Both of them were completely silent. The only sounds that were heard in the room were that of what was coming from the downstairs TV set and their own breathing. Megaman was deep in thought, unable to find a way to coax a response out of Lan concerning how the date with Maylu went. There just didn't seem to be anything that could be said or done to get the boy to open up about the evening.

But, that was all about to change. "Megaman...what is our relationship like?" The question elicited a response for the Navi, who turned his head to face the boy in the chair. It was question that was not expected in the least. Needless to say, Megaman was taken aback by it.

"Our...relationship?"  
"Yeah. What do we mean to each other?"  
"Well...we are best friends. We have been for almost 2 years now."  
"Is that so?"

The boy looked up towards the ceiling. Megaman wasn't sure what he meant by that. Was he starting to doubt him? Did Maylu say something to Lan while they were on their date that was causing this sudden change in the boy? There were so many questions running through the Navi's mind. It was starting to get hard to keep track of them all. And, the worst was, he didn't have an answer to any of them. It was as if the universe was trying to stop him from getting the answers that he wanted to badly.

As moonlight started to creep into the room, the silence also crept back in. Both of the boys were waiting for the other to say something. For Megaman, he was hoping that Lan would continue to talk, which might give him clues as to why there was such a change in his mood that night. For Lan, he was hoping that Megaman would give in, and finally say what he already knew.

The light in the bedroom was still on. Even with the dulled beams of moonlight that still came in through the window, the mood didn't seem to change for either of the two boys. "Megaman...Maylu told me." Lan had finally spoken the words that were on his mind for a long time. The Navi almost jumped at the words, as he was getting accustomed to the silence.

"Wh...what did she tell you?"  
"She told me everything, Megaman."  
"Ummm...that a little vague."  
"I mean everything about us, Megaman. Stop trying to hide it."

There was a detectable sense of frustration and anger in the boy's voice. To Megaman, things were starting to clear up. He knew what Lan was talking about, and it was something that he wished he would have been able to hold off in talking to the boy about. However, it seemed that Maylu had spilled the beans. One part of the Navi knew that he had to talk to Lan about it, since the boy obviously knew. Unfortunately, another part of him said that he needed to play dumb for as long as possible.

Whether it was right or wrong didn't matter at this point. 'If you love him, you will set him free.' The comment from Protoman resonated inside Megaman's hand. 'But...if I talk to Lan about it...am I really setting him free?'

"Well...are you going to say anything, Megaman?"

Lan looked at the Navi with sharp eyes, almost piercing his own. It was a look that Megaman had never seen in the boy before. At least, it was a look that was never directed at him. Sure, he might have had this look when he was battling someone from Nebula, Grave, or even Neo World Three. But, never at him. "What do you want me to say, Lan?"

"I want the truth, Megaman."  
"The truth..."  
"And, nothing but the truth. No more lies."

Feeling like he was on his way to a death sentence, Megaman hung his head. It was the conversation that he hoped he would be able to avoid. But, now that Maylu had said something, whether intentional or not, it was a subject that could no longer be avoided.

But, wait. What if Lan wasn't talking about his and Megaman's love life? What if Maylu had said something completely different, and that was what Lan was upset about? It was a far-fetched idea, but it was worth some kind of investigation. But, how was he going to get Lan to tell him what Maylu said? That was the main problem. He needed to get that out of Lan, but make it seem as though he wasn't trying to get around talking about it. Lan was upset enough at it was. Megaman didn't need the boy to get even more angry than he already was.

So, it had to set his plan into action. "Lan...how much did Maylu tell you?" Megaman could only hope that his plan would not backfire. After all, when it came to reading people, even when Lan did have his memory, he wasn't that good at it. So, this might be a plan the Navi could pull off.

Upset over the comment, Lan replied. "She told me enough to know that you have been hiding it from me since I got out of the hospital. She told me enough to know that the way you feel about me is...deeper...than just plain friendship."

As Megaman thought, it was finally that time. He cursed to himself in his mind. He was hoping this could be held off, or even completely forgotten if he fell in love with Maylu. But, as fate would have it, that was not going to be the case here.

The Navi sighed, knowing this was going to be a hard discussion to have. "She's right. We were best friends...but that was a year and a half ago."

"Hold on. She said that we got...together...only a few days before my accident."  
"Well...That's right. However, I had developed my feelings after the N1 Grand Prix. But..."  
"But, what?"  
"You didn't develop your feelings for me until after the Grave Virus Beast incident. I'm sure Chief Keifer told you about that."

"And, we never said anything to each other?" Lan's voice now showed signs of doubt. He was getting the answers he wanted from the Navi, but it seemed as though the answers were not what he was expecting. After all, both of them waiting so long to tell the other how the felt seemed a little off to the boy. He figured that one of them would have slipped up at some point. But, he was willing to give Megaman the benefit of the doubt and let him continue on.

"It wasn't that we didn't want to say anything. It's just that...it was because we didn't know how the other felt."  
"So, you're saying we both wanted to tell the other, but we were both too afraid to say it."  
"Yeah. That about sums it up."

The two just stared at each other. Once again, they were at a point where they were waiting for the other to say something. There seemed to be a lot of that going on, and it was starting to get really old, really fast. And, it seemed as though it was finally too much for Lan. He soon broke his gaze on Megaman, turning his chair around and looking out the window of his room.

There was another bought of silence in the room. The sound of the television downstairs was the only sound they could hear, once again. However, this time, the sound was not heard after a few minutes. Soon after, the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs were heard.

Both of the boys knew it was only one person.

"Lan, are you ok? You have been quiet since you got home."

Mrs. Hikari knocked on Lan's bedroom door. She heard what sounded like a faint "come in" from the other side. Opening the door, she took immediate notice to where Lan and Megaman were sitting. She saw her son sitting at his desk, whole his Navi was on the bed. Both of them looked as though they had just had a fight. It was something that a mother was just able to pick up on.

"Is everything alright? You two look like you just had a fight."

Lan was going to speak about what he had just talked to Megaman about, but the Navi immediately jumped in quickly. "Oh, it was just a tough day for Lan. And, it wasn't the best date for him..."

"Really? Oh, Lan! I am so sorry to hear that! Is there anything I can do for you?"

The boy wasn't sure how to respond, and he also wasn't sure why Megaman had just jumped in and started talking like that. It was as if the Navi was trying to hide something and also stop him from talking. That annoyed him, more than he really wanted to admit.

But, the only thing that he could do was simply go along with it. There was no point in trying to go against it. "Oh...I'm fine. I just want to talk with Megaman about it and maybe just sleep on it."

"Oh, you go ahead and do that, Lan."  
"Thanks, mom."  
"You're welcome, dear. If you want, you can me can talk about it in the morning."  
"That sounds good."

The woman smiled and exited the room. Almost like clockwork, Lan shot Megaman a look. It was a look that was said many different emotions, and they were all negative. It made the Navi feel extremely uncomfortable. "Why did you do that?"

"Lan...I did it to protect you."  
"Protect me? From what? My own mother?"  
"It's just that...she doesn't know."  
"She...doesn't know?"

Megaman sighed. "No, Lan. Maylu is the only one that knew about our...relationship. No one else knows about it. And...I didn't want you saying anything to your mom about it." It was a moment that was actually surprising to Lan. Due to everything that had happened that day, it was somewhat shocking to see that Megaman was actually trying to protect Lan from something. Then again, it could have just been another lie. After all, the boy had already caught the Navi in the middle of one, and he was sure that Megaman was going to try it again.

"So...you and me were in a relationship, only Maylu knew, and you think my mom wouldn't like it?"  
"Well...a relationship like ours isn't exactly...something that happens everyday."  
"How so? Oh...you mean..."  
"Yeah. NetNavis and humans don't have romantic relationships with each other, let alone two boys. And, it isn't because they can't love each other, but...it's just not the social norm."

"I see..." The boy's comment put him in a bit of a daydream, as well as causing him to stare up into what seemed to be nowhere. He was thinking of the next thing to say, but to him, there was just so much to ask that he couldn't decide on what to talk about next. After everything that had gone on that day, it was hard for Lan to concentrate on just one thing at a time.

So, instead, Lan simply waited for Megaman to make the next comment. There seemed to have been a lot of waiting that night.

However, much to Lan's disappointment, Megaman did not speak soon after. The Navi simply kept on looking in Lan's direction, who was still staring up at the ceiling. It seemed as though the words that both of them needed to speak had already been spoken, and all they were waiting for was to get tired and fall asleep, thereby ending the night and putting all of the tension in the air to rest.

There was another knock at the door soon. It was Mrs. Hikari again. "Lan? Are you still awake?" Her voice was just as gentle as it ever was. It was a voice that the boy had grown use to, and even to the point where he welcomed it anytime it had something to say.

"Yeah. Come on in, Mom."

The door slowly opened. Strangely enough, Lan noticed that his mother wasn't dressed for bed. Instead, it looked like she was ready to out. "Sorry to bother you two, but I wanted to let you know that I forgot to pick up a few things for dinner tomorrow. So, I am going to make a quick trip to the store. I shouldn't be more than an hour." The smile on her face accented her voice, giving a sense of ease in the room.

"Alright. I'll probably be in bed when you get home."  
"I'm sure you will, Lan. From what I heard, you had a long day."  
"...I guess you can say that."  
"Well, don't worry about it, dear! Tomorrow is another day to start fresh."

Her words of encouragement rang in Lan's ears. It was just the thing that he needed to hear. "Thanks, Mom." The two said their goodbyes, as well as Megaman saying his goodbye to Mrs. Hikari on her way out.

With Mrs. Hikari out shopping, the house was now empty.

Megaman was starting to fidget on the bed. Even though the tension in the room had died down somewhat since Mrs. Hikari had talked, there was still enough in the air to make both of the boys uncomfortable. Lan just seemed to be handling it better than the Navi.

"Megaman..."

The sudden mention of his name snapped the Navi out of his thoughts and involuntary fidgeting. He looked at Lan, who had gone back to staring at the ceiling after his mother left. The Navi looked at the boy, wondering why he would suddenly just call his name out like he had just done. Considering that Lan was still upset over Megaman lying about his past, the Navi figured that the boy wanted nothing to do with him for the rest of the night.

"...Yeah, Lan?"  
"I have just one more thing to ask you."  
"...You do?"  
"...Yeah."

For the first time since their initial fight that night, both Lan and Megaman looked at each other. "Out relationship...be it whatever it was...did we love each other?" The question sent a shock throughout Megaman's system. He had never expected Lan to ask such a question. The fact that the boy was still suffering from Amnesia had completely left the Navi's mind at that moment, forgotten to the unexpected question. 'What does he mean by that,' Megaman though, trying to sort out the inquiry in his mind.

Unfortunately, it seemed that the Navi did not have much time to think about it. This wasn't the kind of question were he could just create a long silence and expect Lan to forget he even asked it. No. This was something that he _had_ to answer. "Of course we did..."

"No, Megaman. I don't mean it like that."  
"Well...what did you mean?"  
"Were we _in love_ with each other?"

Now, things were starting to make sense. 'I see...' That was the only thought that crossed the Navi's mind. Thankfully, it was the only one that he needed to concentrate on, and it was the only thought that made sense out of all the other ones he had that night. "Yes. We were in love. It wasn't just feelings out of loyalty. We both...deeply felt that we would do anything for the other...feelings beyond just normal friendship."

"...Is that so?"  
"Lan? You don't think that's true?"  
"No...it's not that. It's just...well..."

With an undivided look, Megaman awaited to hear the rest of Lan's statement. He was expecting something along the lines of him saying that it was, in fact, too weird of a situation for him. In fact, Megaman was almost worried sick that Lan would finally come out and say that it was something he didn't want to get involved in, that it was something he couldn't do again, even if he didn't remember the first time. To the Navi, his fears may have been coming to pass at that moment.

Except...

Without warning, Lan stood up from his chair and walked over to the bed where Megaman was still sitting. The sudden movement was something that the Navi was not expecting. In fact, he half-expected Lan to simply stay in the chair until he was finally tired enough to go to sleep. Then again, could that be why he was walking towards the bed? Was he finally sleepy enough that he wanted to turn in for the night?

Still lost in his thoughts, Megaman did not realize that Lan had already gotten to the bed and sat down. It seemed as thought there wasn't anything that could bring the Navi out of his current state of mind. That was, until Lan decided to go a little further than just sitting by him.

Much to Megaman's surprise, not just from the action, but from getting ripped from his train of thought, he felt Lan's hand rest on top of his own. His eyes widened at the sudden touch. He hadn't expected the boy to make such a move.

"Ummm...Lan? Are you ok?"  
"I'm fine, Megaman."  
"Are you sure? You look a little...dazed."

He couldn't put his finger on it, but Megaman saw that something was different about Lan's face. He wasn't mad or angry anymore. If anything, he looked...intrigued. There was almost no other emotion in the boy's face. "Megaman...I want to find out something."

That statement alone seemed to change Megaman's mood. Now, he was interested in what Lan meant. From the sound of it, the boy didn't come over to the bed in order to sleep for the night. But, if didn't come to the bed to sleep, then why did he make his...

It was at that moment that something completely unexpected happened. The only thing that Megaman saw that the look on Lan's face...and that his face was getting closer and closer as he leaned forward. And then, it happened. Lan's lip finally made contact with Megaman's. The Navi was in total surprise and shock. He had not expected the boy to make such a bold move, especially since they had just had an argument not too long ago.

Megaman's eyes stayed open the entire time, as wide as dinner plates. Lan's eyes, on the other hand, seemed to have closed the moment his lips pressed up against the Navi's lips. Even amid the shock and surprise, Megaman could see it on Lan's face. The boy was enjoying the moment. Or, it looked like he was.

A few moments later, they finally broke apart. Lan opened his eyes and looked at the other boy's face. It wasn't exactly what he was expecting to see. He had figured that Megaman would have been filled with happiness that he finally got kissed again, and that things might be going back to normal. At least, that is what Lan thought. However, the opposite seemed to have been evident on the Navi's face. The boy could only think that maybe he did something wrong, or that Megaman just didn't enjoy the contact.

"Megaman...why...why don't you look happy?"

Megaman didn't know how to respond. Sure, he should have been happy. He wanted to be happy. It was the first time since Lan's accident that he was able to have an intimate moment with the boy. He should have been jumping for joy all over the room, kissing Lan more, and even shedding tears of joy from his eyes. He should have been doing all of that. But...he wasn't. He couldn't.

And, the worst part was...he didn't know why.

"Lan...why did you do that?"  
"I thought that was what you wanted."  
"What do you mean by that?"

"Megaman...if we were...'together' like you said, then me kissing you should have made you happy about everything. Why didn't it?" It was the question the Navi still had no answer for. For the moment, all he could seem to do was stare into Lan's eyes, hoping that the answer to the question would just come to him. After all, thinking on his feet was something that Megaman was good at. So, this shouldn't be any different than a NetBattle where he had to think on his feet. Then again, this wasn't a NetBattle. This was Lan. This was about whether or not he would be able to salvage his relationship with the boy or not.

After a few moments of staring, Megaman knew he had to say something. The uncomfortable silence was starting to get to both him and Lan. "It's just that...that..." He paused, waiting for the right words to come out of his mouth. "...it took me by surprise. That's all." 'There. That should be good enough...at least until I find out _why_ I reacted like that.'

"But...I thought you would have liked it."  
"What do you mean, Lan?"  
"If we were together, then we probably did stuff like that, right?"  
"Well...we did..."  
"Then why was it such a surprise for you?"

That exact same question just kept running through Megaman's head. He didn't have the answer. He was trying with all of his energy to find out why he reacted like he did. He had been waiting for Lan to finally do something like that for a while, and the Navi thought that it was going to be the moment that he would be looking forward to. And, true enough, it was the moment. But, something about the moment just didn't seem right. Megaman couldn't put his finger on it, but the moment...felt like it shouldn't have happened. It felt like it was almost...

...a nightmare.

Remembering that Lan had just asked a question, Megaman tried, once again, to state why he reacted with what seemed like terror. The Navi opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. His brain just would not allow him to say what needed to be said, even if he didn't know what it was that needed to be said.

Lan looked at Megaman, still waiting for the response to his question. He took immediate notice to the Navi opening his mouth to speak, but then closing back up after a moment of silence from the orifice. "Megaman...is it that you don't like me anymore? Is that why you did what you did?"

Now, that got Megaman's attention and mouth working. "Wa...what? No! That's not it. I still like you, Lan. My feelings haven't changed."

"Then what is it?"  
"I...I..."  
"What was it that made you react like that?"  
"I...I don..."  
"What was it, Megaman?"

"I don't want you to like me!" The words blurted out of Megaman's mouth. Of course, it was completely involuntary. And, naturally, it wasn't until after he had spoken those words that he realized what he had done.

Realizing what he had said, Megaman looked directed at Lan, who now had the same look of shock on his face that Megaman had only a few minutes ago. The boy couldn't believe what the Navi had just said. He was sure that this was what Megaman wanted. But...it was completely different. Now, there was another question that popped into Lan's mind.

'Does that mean...he doesn't like my anymore?'

"Lan...I didn't mean to..."  
"Don't say anything, Megaman."  
"Lan, please. I'm sorry I said that."  
"If you are, then why did you say it?"

The Navi was at a slight loss for words. All he could seem to do was dwell on the words that would now inevitably end, not only their relationship, but also quite possibly end their friendship. But, all of his thoughts and feelings were starting to come back together. After a few moments of thought, a familiar saying started to repeat itself in his head. 'If you love Lan, you will let him go.' Megaman finally understood what he meant, and what he needed to do.

"Lan...I still like you. I still love you. But...you can't return those same feelings. Not right now."  
"Megaman...why can't..."

The boy was quickly interrupted by the Navi. "Please, Lan. Let me finish." The boy was slightly taken aback by the remarks, but figured that letting Megaman speak would hopefully solve all of the questions that he had running through his head.

Megaman continued to speak. "It isn't that I don't want you to return my feelings. I really do. But...I want it to be on our own terms. I don't want you returning my feelings simply because you were told that we were a couple before. I don't want that, Lan." The Navi paused in his speech, if you could call it that. And, as he was talking, Megaman realize why he reacted the way he did to Lan kissing him.

He wanted Lan's love to be his own feelings, not what someone else said they were.

Lan stared at Megaman's face. He didn't know what to say to the Navi. Sure, the boy got what Megaman was trying to say. That was perfectly clear now. 'He wants it to start from the beginning.'

Megaman looked into Lan's eyes. He could see that the boy understood how he felt about the situation; the feeling that he didn't want them to do anything simply because they did in the past. No, Megaman could see that Lan understood that he wanted things to start again, from the beginning, with no outside influences to say who felt what about the other. However, it would seem that things like that were not going to last.

'I understand, but I have to know...I just have to...' That one thought crossed Lan's mind, as he unexpectedly leaned in and kissed Megaman again. And, just like time, the Navi was just as surprised as before. However, Lan did not see the reaction in Megaman's face. He closed his eyes and try to enjoy the kiss as much as possible. '...I have to know...' The thought resonated throughout his mind.

Their kiss didn't last too long as Megaman broke it off before he became too engrossed in it. "Lan...I thought you understood..."

"I do, Megaman. But..."  
"But what?"  
"But...I have to know for myself."  
"Lan? What is it?"

The boy didn't answer at first. He was silent for a few moments as he stared deeply into Megaman's eyes...that was, until he expectedly kissed the Navi for the third time that night. Unfortunately, as if expecting it, Megaman quickly broke the kiss and gently pushed Lan away. There was a hurt and dejected look in Lan's face. The moment that just shared, if only briefly, was a moment that seemed to have been enjoyed by the boy.

The Navi looked into Lan's eyes, a look of sadness and hurt could be seen inside the brown orbs. He didn't mean to, but he had his reasons for doing what he did. "Lan...you can't...we can't. You can't do this just because you were told you use to."

"Megaman...I am doing this because I want to."  
"No, you're not. If Maylu didn't tell you about our relationship, you wouldn't be doing this."  
"Maybe...but, then again, maybe her telling me showed me how I really do feel."

There was another moment of silence. Megaman didn't know what to say. Sure, Lan's reasoning did make sense, but the Navi was absolutely sure that what was happening was only because Lan believed what Maylu said, and that he thinks he should be in love with the Navi simply because he was before the accident. To Megaman, that wasn't how he wanted Lan to remember.

Lan soon spoke, breaking the silence between the two of them. "Look, Megaman. I'm not kissing you because someone told me to..." There was a pause in his voice. The Navi noticed that Lan didn't stutter at all. That could have only meant that, for once during this whole time, the boy might have been fully aware of what he was talking about. This was only reinforced as Lan slowly started to move in towards Megaman's lips once more.

"I'm doing it because I want to."

And, with those words, Lan pressed his lips against Megaman's once again. The contact was something that the boy could get use to, especially with someone that was as kind, well-mannered, protective, and caring as the Navi was. It was a feeling that he had finally filled a void in his life. He felt like he was...

...in love...

To add even more surprise to the moment, the boy noticed that Megaman was not pulling away from the kiss this time. Lan had closed his eyes in order to take in the moment, so he hadn't seem the expression on the Navi's face during the while time their lips were connected...and still connected, as the case were. Opening his eyes, Lan discovered that Megaman had done the same as he did. His vision was greeted to the sight of the Navi's emerald green eyes being cover by his fleshy eyelids, completely blocking out any visuals his eyes could get.

Their shared moment of euphoria lasted longer than either of them had realized. Both of them had to break the kiss in order to get a breath of air. Both Lan and Megaman had a slight pant in their breathing as their lungs begged for more air to circulate to the rest of their bodies.

Lan looked at Megaman in front of him, happy that he accepted the kiss this time, but curious as to why he did accept it. The boy spoke in almost a whisper. "Why...why didn't you push me away that time?" There was a moment of silence between the two. The boy figured Megaman was trying to find the right words for the moment, but those thoughts went out the window when he got an unexpectedly quick peck on the lips.

"Lan...if you really are doing this because you want to...then I'll help you."  
"Help me? With what?"  
"Lan...I'm your NetNavi, and I am...was...your boyfriend. If getting you back to normal means I have to...kiss you, then I will do it. I'll do anything you help you, Lan...I love you."

With the words spoken, Megaman wasted no more time, not even giving the boy a chance to respond. He moved in closer and planted a fiery, yet passionate, kiss on Lan's lips. The movement was slow and paced, as if it was rehearsed at an earlier time. But, it wasn't Megaman was acting completely on his feelings. The only thing that he had on his mind was that he couldn't go too quickly, or else he might scare Lan, thereby ruining not only the moment, but also any chance of getting the Lan before back.

There was a silence in the air as the only hint of sound came from the quiet moans of the two boys and their locked lips. Megaman put one arm behind Lan and slowly lowered him to the bed below them. As the boy was being lowered, the Navi slowly made his way on top, but the movements alerted Lan, as he soon broke the kiss and inspect what was going on.

Orbs of brown looked at Megaman. "What...what are you doing?"

"Lan...do you trust me?"  
"Trust you? I...I..."  
"I won't hurt you, Lan. All I ask from you is that you put a little bit of trust in me."  
"That's...gonna be hard to do. You lied to me since I got..."

The boy was cut off by the Navi. "I know I lied, Lan. And, I hope you can understand and forgive me for it. But, right now, I don't want that to matter. Right now...I just want us to matter."

Their eyes kept staring at each other. Neither of the two wanted to say anything. Consequently, neither of the two also wanted to just stare at each other all night long. Whether Megaman knew it or not, Lan was looking forward to going a little further than where they were right now. However, the boy wasn't sure if this was all still something that was true about him before the accident, and his caution was starting to get in the way of his desire.

But, Lan would soon have to make his choice, as Megaman started to get closer and closer to his lips once again. "Please, Lan...just trust me..." With his words, the distance between his lips and Lan lips closed almost completely. There were only mere centimeters separating the two of them. However, the Navi seemed to be waiting for something, as if there was some kind of sign that Lan was suppose to give before he could proceed.

And, Lan seemed to have caught on.

Without much warning, the boy wrapped his arms around Megaman's neck, pulling his head the rest of the way down, forcing their lips together. The feeling of Lan's lips against his one was something that Megaman had been waiting to feel for such a long time. And, it was absolutely painful for the Navi to push Lan away the first few times. But, this time...this time was the moment that he had been waiting for.

However, as their kiss kept going, so did Megaman's desire to continue and go further. He slowly pulled his lips away from Lan's, trailing down the boy's chin and neck. For Lan, this was something that he hadn't done before...not that he could remember if he had done this before or not.

His eyes were closed and his breathing started to get a little more rapid and deep. The touch of the Navi's lips on his neck sent waves of euphoria throughout his body. It wasn't long until he felt a hand go between his shirt and chest, snaking it's way up from the bottom of his shirt, carefully and gently inching past his navel and stomach. Of course, he knew that it wasn't his hand. And, this was more evident as the hand reached his chest, several fingers running across his nipples.

The sensation was too much for Lan to keep to himself. "Uhhh..." A low moan came out of his mouth, enhanced by the feeling of Megaman's tongue moving across his jawline and around the front of his neck, leaving a slightly wet trail of saliva in the process. The stagnant air in the room only served to carry the silent moan, it's sound waves bouncing off each wall and window, object and screen, and even each other. It was a sound that only served to further increase the Navi's desire to go the extra mile...or even more.

Another hand was felt against the boy's chest. And, once again, Lan knew that it was not his own. However, this time both of the intruding hands seemed to have been moving in unison, one snaking up the left side of his stomach and chest, while the other moved upwards on the right side of the same areas. Before Lan could decipher what their motives were, both of the hands reached their objectives. As the boy's thoughts came to a conclusion, Megaman's hands had moved all the way up Lan's body and across his own arms, completely parallel to one another.

Lan's eyes searched in front of his own face to find Megaman's, needing an explanation as to what was going on. Unfortunately, his vision would not be granted the answer that it was seeking. Without warning, Megaman grabbed the sleeves of the boy's shirt and quickly tugged the restricting article of clothing off.

The rushed movement broke whatever skin-to-skin contact was occurring between the two boys. The sight of Lan's bare chest was something that nearly drove Megaman to the point where he just wanted to take the boy right then and there. It took a good majority of his willpower to stop himself from doing such a thing. He had to think hard about how much he loved Lan, not how much he thought he lusted after the boy's body. Emerald green eyes stared deeply at the smooth flesh in front of it, taking note of every inch.

However, it wasn't long before Lan's silence became a voice in his throat...an objection.

"Megaman...stop...we can't...we can't do this..."

There was a mix of shock and disappointment on Megaman's face. He had been looking forward to this movement for a while now, almost two weeks, and now, Lan wanted to stop because he thought that they shouldn't be doing what they were doing.

But, the Navi wanted to get to the bottom of the boy's objection.

"Why do you say that, Lan?"  
"It's just...it doesn't feel right."  
"You mean...this isn't what you wanted?"  
"Well...I wanted to know if I really did have...feelings for you. But...I don't see how this is the way to do it."

Megaman stared into his NetOp's eyes, trying to see what was the root of this sudden change in mood. Most often, all the Navi had to do was look into Lan's eyes or study the boy's face, and he could normally tell why there was such a change in his mood or tone of voice. But, this time...this time was different. Megaman found it extremely difficult to read Lan. It was almost like trying to study the face of a complete stranger.

However, Megaman knew that this might be the only way to get Lan back, if you could even call it that. Mostly, it was just the Navi's hormones talking. _**(a/n: Considering that Megaman is "human" when he is outside his PET, he can have normal human emotions, bodily functions, and yes, even hormones.)**_

"Lan...do you trust me?"  
"You...already asked me that."  
"I know I did. It's just...you seem like you don't."  
"I do...but..."

Megaman soon cut Lan's statement off before he could finish. "Then believe me when I tell you this...You won't get hurt. I won't push you too far. And...I love you." The Navi took his thumbs and stroked the side's of the boy's face in sync, as if trying to express his point even more.

The boy looked up at his Navi...possibly boyfriend...and tried to force himself to smile, trying to tell the body above him that it was ok, and that he did believe him. But, this experience was still worrisome to the boy, and he wasn't sure if he was ready for it. 'He did promise me...but can he keep it?' Lan's own thoughts were contradicting themselves, making it extremely difficult for him to decide whether he should allow Megaman to continue on.

However, Megaman wasn't going to wait much longer. He decided to take Lan's silence as a means of telling him to continue on. He lowered his head down to the boy's still bare chest, brushing his lips across the flesh, all the while taking his hands away from the boy's face and using his fingers to caress the sides of his torso. The touches were delicate, almost in a scripted manner as though they were out of some movie. The sensations caused Lan to close his eyes and quietly moan in his throat. It wouldn't be too long before Megaman started to kiss certain areas on the boy's stomach.

However, there was a nagging thought in the back of Megaman's head. He couldn't help but think that the air in the room was too tense from earlier in the evening. He had to find a way to lighten the mood a little, but not too much that it would spoil the moment. So, he went down to the boy's stomach once again and started blowing, like a mother would do her newborn baby to get it to smile and laugh. He hoped that maybe Lan would response in somewhat the same manner, hoping to get rid of the tension in the air.

For the most part, it seemed to work. As Megaman started to blow, he could hear Lan trying not to laugh. But, soon his silent giggling came out in a laughing fit. "Ha-ha. Sto...stop it, Megaman. That tickles!" Lan started to squirm a little below Megaman, who had still been blowing on the boy's stomach.

Feeling that he did what needed to be done, the Navi lifted his head to speak. "You're a little ticklish there, eh?"

"Hey! It's a sensitive area. I'm sure you are, as well."  
"I don't know. You never did that to me. So..."  
"So, I guess this is the best time to try, right?"

Without any more warning, Lan quickly got up and attempted to pin Megaman down to the bed. 'I guess this isn't all that bad. It's kinda fun...' The boy started to feel that things were starting to fall in place, and he also thought about what Megaman said. So far, he hadn't hurt the boy, he wasn't forcing him forward into anything...and right before the Navi started blowing on his stomach, which resulted in the situation and position that they were in at the moment, Megaman showed the boy that he was held in a very high regard...he could even say that Megaman...loved him.

'He loves me...he loves me...' The thought resonated inside the boy's head. He looked at the happy expression on Megaman's face; an expression that he found to be quite comforting. Without realizing it, he leaned down to get a closer look, but soon found that his lips had made contact with Megaman and that they were now in the middle of a passionate kiss.

Neither of the two boys even bothered to move from the position they were in. Neither of them even needed to thinking about what was going on. Their passionate movement turned even more intimate when both Megaman and Lan moved their tongues into the other's mouth, completing the French Kiss.

The moment dragged on and on. One kiss, two kisses, three kisses, and still, neither Lan nor Megaman bothered to move from their current position, which was Lan on top and Megaman now on bottom.

And, it was only a matter of time before Megaman started getting a little more adventurous.

As they were kissing more and more, he moved one hand between their bodies, snaking it's way down to Lan's waist, and even further. Shaping his hand into a cup, he moved it over the boy's crotch area and, sure enough, he noticed that Lan was getting hard. In fact, he guessed that the boy was almost completely hard, judging by how much his penis was sticking up.

And, like clockwork, Lan felt the hand on his pants. It alerted him quickly, causing him to pull back from their make-out session that seemed to have lasted a whole ten minutes. Lan looked down at Megaman, a slight blush could be seen across his face.

Megaman, however, simply smiled.

"You don't need to be embarrassed, Lan."  
"Well...it's just that..."  
"Hey. I know how it is. And, you don't have to worry, Lan."  
"...Are you sure?"  
"Of course, I am."  
"Then...what do we do now?"

The Navi smiled again. He had been hoping for that question for a good while, and he had the perfect answer. "I know what to do." Just like what Lan had done earlier, Megaman flipped the two of them around, back to their original positions of Lan on bottom and Megaman on top.

With a smile on his face, the same smile he had on when he told Lan not to be embarrassed, Megaman spoke again. "Let me take over from here..." With that, the Navi, using only one hand, unbuttoned Lan's shorts and, now with both hands, pulled the shorts and boxers down a little. The boy was a little surprised as the quick movements, and they caused him to jump a little bit. Megaman caught the movement and looked at Lan for any indication to not continue.

However, there was no such indication. Lan simply put a hand over his chest to catch a breath, then nodded his head.

"Don't worry, Lan..."  
"I'll try not to, Megaman..."  
"Lan...just remember that I won't hurt you...and that I love you..."

With one of his fingers, Megaman ran it across the sensitive tip of the boy's hardened penis, sending a wave of pleasure up and down Lan's body, causing him to involuntarily shake a little from the sudden touch. But, more and more as the moments passed, Lan couldn't help but think to himself that this might not be a bad thing, that it might actually be something that he might enjoy.

But, the only way he knew if that was true or not, was to keep going.

"!" The boy was quickly pulled out of his thoughts when he felt more than one fingers on his crotch. This time, however, they were not on the tip, or even stroked or rubbing the head. This time, the fingers had wrapped themselves around his shaft and started moving, slowly up and down with the fingertips attempting to tickle the sensitive flesh every now and again. The sensations from the touches were getting more and more intense. In fact, they were already intense enough to the point where they were causing pre-cum to start making it's way up and out of his member.

And, Lan could feel it making it's way up.

And, Megaman could see it making it's way up.

To the Navi, the sight was rather tempting. It was a sight that he had grown to like since he was able to come to the human world. It made his heart beat fast when he saw Lan enjoy the treatment he was getting, but the sight of Lan's erection getting harder and oozing the sticky pre-cum...it made his heart beat even faster and faster.

Giving in to his desire even more, Megaman removed his hand from the boy's shaft. Lan breathed a heavy sigh, more so from the pleasurable feelings ending than his own disappointment. However, it wasn't long before he felt something warm and wet touch the tip of his penis.

Gazing down, Lan saw that Megaman's mouth was hovering extremely close to his member. Looking even further, he saw the Navi's tongue sticking out slightly. He wanted to look even further, but the sudden feeling of something wet and warm against the head of his penis sent another wave of pleasure across his body, forcing the boy to toss his head back onto the bed, loosing sight of what was going on below his waistline.

"Uhh...Mmm" Low moans were escaping Lan's mouth as Megaman's tongue continued to lick the tip of his member, tasting the pre-cum that continued to ooze out. The Navi was loving the taste of the clear fluid. And. He realized the more that he licked, the more that seemed to come out. He could tell that Lan was almost ready...

And it was time to go to the next step.

In what seemed like an instant to Lan, Megaman slowly moved his head lower, putting the boy's member in his mouth. Slowly and carefully, the head moved inside, followed by the top of his shaft, then the middle. The Navi was taking his time, all the while using his tongue to tease the sensitive tip of the appendage.

By this time, Lan was tossing his head back and forth, from left to right, extending his neck and contracting...anything that his body would do to release the pinned up moans that he tried to not let escape through his mouth. However, that was going to change.

Megaman used his hands once again, pulling the boy's shorts and boxers completely off, carelessly tossing them aside, all the while gaining speed as he continued sucking on Lan's member, teasing the boy's penis even more with his tongue by moving it more quickly and intensely over the tip.

"Ahh..Mega...M...Man..." Lan could barely say the Navi's name. The sensations were overwhelming him, and he could feel that something bigger and more intense than his pre-cum was starting to gather at the base inside his penis. The more Megaman teased the head of his member, the more intense the feeling inside him got. But, Megaman wasn't quite finished yet. He knew what was coming just by listening to Lan's voice, and he knew that there was something that would push the boy over the edge.

Once again, without any warning, Megaman moved a hand into another sensitive area on the boy's body. At first, he just brushed his fingers lightly over the area between the boy's sac and hole, but the Navi soon moved to his destination. Feeling around and slightly digging between Lan's cheeks, Megaman found the boy's hole and quickly inserted his middle finger.

"Ahhh! Mega...Man!" The sudden intrusion made Lan shoot his eyes open. There was both a mixture of euphoria and pain from Megaman's movements, more pain than pleasure, as it would seem. To get Lan's mind off of his current actions, Megaman started sucking harder and more intensely, actually putting the tip of his tongue inside Lan's peehole.

Lan could barely get any words out, but he knew that it was soon time. "Some...things hap...happening...Megaman!" The boy screamed the Navi's name as it finally happened. Megaman heard and moved his tongue quickly, giving a few thrusts into Lan's hole with his finger and licking the underpart of the head on the boy's member.

In only an instant later, Lan started to cum. The orgasm was like nothing the boy had ever experienced in his life, granted he couldn't remember half of his life at the moment. But, that didn't matter. The feeling of the cum quickly moving up his shaft and shooting into Megaman's awaiting mouth made Lan's entire body spasm. His hands got caught in the bedsheets and tangled themselves up, grabbing whatever there was to grab.

The creamy liquid came out in spurts, one after another, about five in total. All of it had ended up in the Navi's mouth, although Lan didn't know this as his mind was spinning in a whirlwind of ecstasy.

Finally, after a moment of waiting, the boy was able to catch his breath. His most recent experience had literally taken his breath away. His pants were staggered and deep, but gradually became more silent and shallow as his body started getting the much needed oxygen. Opening his eyes, Lan found that Megaman's head was still around his penis, but the Navi's eyes were focused on him. The emerald green orbs could be seen as clear as daylight, staring directly at Lan's brown eyes.

Their short-lived staring contest seemed to have been Megaman's queue to lift his mouth off of the boy's now softened member. A thin string of semen could be seen, one end attached to the tip of the boy's head, and the other hanging slightly off of the Navi's lip. It didn't take long for the string to break, as Megaman moved his head closer to Lan's head. The boy wasn't sure what the Navi was up to, but he could see a smirk across his face. He had figured that Megaman probably swallowed all of the substance that came out, a substance that he didn't know came out of him.

"Megaman...Did you..." Lan's words were cut off as Megaman quickly locked lips with the brunette below him. With Lan's mouth still open, the Navi shot his tongue into the awaiting orifice. Unbeknownst to Lan, Megaman did not swallow all of the cum. Instead, he had gotten the idea in his head to let the boy get a taste of what he enjoyed more than the food Mrs. Hikari cooked up.

At first, Lan's reaction was not very pleasant. He wasn't sure what the substance was, but given where it came out of, the place he peed from, he could only guess that it was probably going to be disgusting. He even thought about smacking Megaman across the face for making him taste such a thing.

However, it wasn't as bad as he thought it to be. While the Navi's movements were quick, they were still gentle and caring, and Lan could feel it. So, he decided to go with it.

And, to his surprise, it wasn't all that bad.

Initially, the taste was a little on the bitter side. But, the more he tasted the seed, the more he began to get use to it, maybe even enjoy it himself. He moved his own tongue around, brushing up against the Navi's tongue, getting more and more of the taste on his own. Lan even went as far as to bypass Megaman's intrusion and scope out the Navi's mouth on the other end.

And, not to his surprise, the taste of the cum was still fresh inside the Navi's mouth.

It wasn't long before the kiss wasn't about giving Lan a taste of himself anymore. Rather, it had finally turned into a kiss of passion and romance. It was no longer fulfilling a desire on the Navi's part. It was no longer about giving the boy the taste that Megaman enjoyed so much. It wasn't about any of that. It was now about the two of them, sharing a moment that Megaman wanted to make sure that Lan remembered.

Their passionate moment lasted for much longer than either of them had realized. Almost an entire minute had past since the "cum-tasting kiss" turned into a full blown make-out session. But, things were going to heat back up, as Megaman could feel his own member twitching more and more, wanting to go that last mile to make Lan's world explode.

It was getting to the point where it was unbearable, and Megaman knew that it was time.

The Navi finally broke off the kiss, needing to speak and let the boy know just what was going to happen next. "Lan...there's one more thing we can do...if you want to..." The Navi was reluctant to speak the last part of his sentence. He wanted to go all the way more than anything, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that Lan would never forgive him if he forced the boy into doing something that he didn't want to do. Megaman knew that he had to ask Lan before he went the final step.

"You mean...you want me to finish you, right?"  
"Well...no. Not quite."  
"Then, what is it?"  
"Umm...you know how I took my finger and put it inside you?"

Lan remembered that. It was the thing that pushed him over the edge quicker than he thought. It was also on the painful side. Although, the boy had to admit in his mind that after the initial push, it didn't feel all that bad. In fact, he might even say that it felt good, and that it was a feeling that he might even come to like, so long as it wasn't anything more than just a finger.

"Yeah..."  
"Well...I want to go further than that."  
"Further? What...do you mean by that?"  
"Lan...I want to put myself inside you."

'Put himself inside me?' The thought came into Lan's mind, trying to figure out what kind of coding that way. However, he quickly figured it out. The only thing that would actually fit in his hole, even if it was a long shot, was Megaman's penis. Even though the boy had Amnesia, he still had some common sense and reasonable deduction skills.

The idea sort of worried Lan a little. "Wait...you want you...stick me with your..."

"I do..."  
"But...it's bigger than a finger. It's gonna hurt."  
"I may at first, Lan. But, it will get better."  
"But, what if it doesn't? What if it really hurts?"  
"Lan..."

Megaman could hear the distress in the boy's voice. But, his own urge was getting the better of him, and the Navi really wanted to go all the way. "Lan...I know it will hurt. But, I'll do everything I can to make sure it doesn't hurt long. I know you will like it. Please...trust me on this."

There it was again. Megaman was asking for Lan to trust him. And, true enough, the boy had trusted Megaman this entire time. He trusted him in taking his clothes off. He trusted him in handing his private parts. He trusted him in getting a taste of himself. So, why was it different this time? The only thing that Lan could think of was that when Megaman was using just his finger, the initial pain was the one thing that really stuck out to him. And, the boy didn't want to go through that again.

However, something inside Lan told him that this was something that he can trust Megaman on. It was a quiet, but very nagging voice inside his head. He couldn't seem to get rid of it, but it was there, urging the brunette on to keep going...and to trust what Megaman was doing.

Brown eyes focused on emerald green eyes. Lan had to say something. And, he did, with reluctance. "Ok...Let's give it a try." The words made Megaman almost ecstatic. He had been hoping Lan would say yes. And, now that he did, he could finally show Lan just how much the boy meant to him.

With a quick kiss on the lips, Megaman soon went to work. He didn't see much of a need to take off his shirt. So, instead, he unbuttoned his pants and tried to slide them down, but another pair of hands came out and grabbed his own. He followed the arms to see that Lan was holding his hands...and smiling. 'What is he...ohh. I see...' There was a slight tug on the Navi's hands, trying to move then downward while they still had a grasp on the waist of the pants.

Both pairs of hands moved downward, both grasping the pants. As the waist of the fabric got lower and lower, a bulge could be seen on Megaman's boxers. Sure enough, the Navi had gotten an erection, and it was just now starting to show. Although, Lan hadn't even paid much attention to the Navi's body, since he himself want too busy enjoying the treatment Megaman was giving him.

A little fascinated by the sight, Lan take one of his hands off of the pants and cupped it over the bulge. He could see the tip of the head, as well as some of the shaft on the appendage. Aside from his own, Lan couldn't remember ever seeing another boy's penis. His curiosity got the better of him as he took his hand and snaked it past open seam in the boxers, gently feeling around and touching Megaman's member in certain places. The Navi moaned very lowly at the touching, so low that Lan, thankfully, did not hear it.

The boy kept touching and feeling, but soon decided that he wanted to see more. Without warning Megaman one bit, Lan grabbed the hardened penis and pulled it through the open seam. At last, he stared at the now exposed and hard member, curving slightly upward and even starting to slightly drip pre-cum.

Things were starting to get to be too much for the Navi to handle. He wanted to get to the "grand finale", and the urge to get to that point was getting stronger and stronger the more Lan simply stared or touched his hard member.

He pulled himself back a bit, giving his back room to bend so that he could give the boy beneath him a kiss on the lips. But, unknown to Lan, the kiss was merely a distraction.

The Navi knew that Lan was ok with what was going to happen, even if he was a little worried about it. However, with his distraction in place and already set in motion, Megaman knew that it was time to continue on. Taking one of his fingers, he felt around Lan's butt, getting between the two cheeks, and finally finding his destination.

With a gentle push, Megaman moved the finger inside the boy's hole. It was still a little loose, but still tight enough that he knew that it would take a little effort to get Lan fully stretched.

Peering down at Lan's face, Megaman could see that the boy was feeling the pain from the intrusion. And, their kiss was starting to turn sour, given that the pain from Megaman's actions was something that was still foreign to Lan. The Navi knew he couldn't keep his distraction up since Lan was aware of what was going on. So, he reluctantly stopped the kiss and pulled his head away.

Without the Navi's lips on his own, Lan's face started to contort, the pain from the intrusion being to blame in its entirety. "Ahhh...ahh..." By now, Megaman was moving the finger in and out, trying to get Lan use to the feeling. Lan, however, didn't seem to enjoy it all that much.

"Oww...Megaman...it hurts..."  
"I'm sorry, Lan. But...this is the only way..."  
"Are you...sure?"

Lan's sentences were short, as Megaman was still moving his finger and and out, and it was starting to gain speed as the ring muscles inside the boy were loosening up. The Navi didn't answer the boy's question, opting to continue on and hoping that things were going to turn out for the better. This became evident as he took another finger and moved it into position.

The boy felt the new finger, and braced for another round. He was getting use to the first, relaxing himself a little. But now, it seemed that his relaxing was going to be for not. The Navi pulled the first finger back, put the two fingers together, and pushed both inside Lan's hole. This caused the boy even more pain than the first finger. Megaman could feel that Lan was not relaxing as much as he should have. Even as he was attempting to stretch the boy, he could feel the ring muscle tensing up more and more.

"Lan, I know it hurts now. But, you have to relax."  
"It's hard, Megaman...it just hurts..."  
"Don't think about what I am doing. Just relax and don't think about anything."

The boy wasn't sure if he could keep his mind off it. After all, the Navi was going to be going all the way with him soon. How could he not think about what was going to happen. However, Lan tried his best to not give it a thought. Instead, he focused his mind on other things, trying to not pay attention to the work Megaman's fingers were doing to his hole.

It seemed to work. Lan didn't even noticed that Megaman had started to make scissor motions with the two fingers he had inserted. The sight of Lan's awaking entrance was hard for Megaman to look at. It was something that was taking all of his willpower to not just go for, given that it would put the boy in a lot of pain.

Figuring that Lan was finally stretched enough, Megaman stopped the scissoring motions, keeping a small space open, which was soon filled with a third finger. Even with Lan thinking about other things, he felt the third finger put in. The boy let out a slight yelp, muffled by his own closed mouth. He didn't want to tell Megaman that it hurt for fear that he might stop. Even if it was painful, Lan couldn't deny that after a little while, it felt good, and he was starting to take a liking to the treatment.

The Navi still heard the yelp, though. However, since he did not hear a single objection from the boy below him, he continued his work. The ring muscles were getting more and more stretched, becoming very loose. It also felt like the insides were starting to self-lubricate themselves.

Everything going on was finally too much for Megaman to contain. His throbbing erection and twitching with anticipation, and he soon caught his fingers moving at a rather quick pace while inside Lan. He knew that it was finally time.

Removing his fingers, Megaman moved himself into position, lifting Lan's legs up so that his knees were almost resting on the boy's chest. Lan, however, a little disappointed in the removal of the fingers. The feeling was something that was was getting use to, and was enjoying more than he thought he would. But, as his mind came back to him and realized what was next, he shifted his attention to the waiting Navi between his legs.

"Lan...are you sure you are ready for this?"  
"I am, Megaman. I'm ready for you."  
"...ok."

There was a hint of doubt in Megaman's voice, and Lan could hear it. The Navi was a little hesitant, simply putting the tip of his member on Lan's hole. Noticing his hesitation, Lan leaned upward, as much as his back would let him, while at the same time, wrapping his arms around Megaman and pulling his down. With the distance closed, Lan pressed his lips against Megaman's, locking themselves together. The boy forced his tongue into the Navi's mouth, hoping to show that he was alright with what was going to happen next.

With their lips still locked, Megaman finally went forward, pushing the head of his erected member into the boy below him. The kiss muffled the moan of pain Lan had let out. But, Megaman did not stop there. He continued forward, pushing himself more and more inside the boy, almost halfway before even stopping. The Navi looked at Lan, whose face was contorting from the sudden intrusion. Lan hadn't expected Megaman to go so quickly.

The kiss was soon broken, as both of them needed air. However, Megaman soon spoke. "I'm sorry, Lan. I didn't mean to..." The Navi was cutoff by Lan speaking.

"Don't apologize, Megaman. Just...go a little slower..."

With a nod of his head, Megaman slowly pulled out, leaving only the head inside, then, in an slow and gingerly manner, pushed himself back inside Lan. The motions were still making Lan's face contort in a mixture of both pain and pleasure. His mind couldn't focus on just one feeling at a time. As Megaman kept pushing in, he went past the halfway mark, going even further into the boy below him. He could feel the friction of his member rubbing against the inner walls of Lan's hole. It was a feeling that almost made the Navi want to move quicker. But, his willpower was stronger than that.

Finally, he pushed all the way in, his pelvis coming into full contact with Lan's body. The feeling of Megaman's entire length being inside him made Lan's face contort even more. He tried not to make any moaning or crying sounds. Even though Lan knew that it was going to be this painful at first, he really did want to see what the entire experience was going to be like. So, he resolved to himself to endure everything until the very end.

Slowly, Megaman started to pull and out, almost all the way each time. "Uh...uhh..." Completely unintentionally, Lan started making sounds, all of which were being triggered by the Navi's movements. Wanting to do more, Megaman bent over slightly, lowering his head down to Lan's chest, giving the boy's nipples some attention by gently licking and sucking on the nubs. This caused even more moans to escape the boy's mouth.

Keeping his hips moving and his thrusts getting more rhythmic as each moment passed, Megaman continued to give attention to the boy's bare chest, kissing and licking what he could. The sensations of pain that initially cased Lan's face to contort were beginning to subside, giving way to the more pleasurable feelings of the intimacy of their moment together.

As he was continuing with his thrusting, Megaman lifted his head up. "Lan...I love you. I just...I love you..." As if trying to express his point even more, Megaman made a sharp thrust into the boy, causing Lan's eyes and mouth to both open wide, mainly due to the rush of friction, not to mention his body itself trembling slightly.

At that moment, Megaman held his position, not making anymore thrusts, worried that he had hurt Lan in some way. "Lan...are you..." Once again, the Navi was cutoff by the boy, who almost seemed to have expected Megaman to say something.

"Megaman...that was...wonderful."  
"Are you sure? It looked like..."  
"Please...do that again."

Not waiting to disappoint, Megaman pulled out and did another sharp thrust into the boy below him. Yet again, Lan's face showed an expression of surprise, which seemed to have quickly turned to what Megaman though was a face showing pain, as the boy's eyes quickly closed and started to squint. To Megaman, this could only mean one thing. 'I found his spot. Hehe.'

Pulling out once again, Megaman pushed the entirety of his member back into Lan in the same manner as he had done the past two times. Once again, Lan's face contorted, both a mix of pain and euphoria. And, then something caught Megaman's attention. He looked down his and Lan's bodies, and noticed that everything that he was doing to the boy was causing the body below him to become hard once again.

He smiled inward, knowing that he was doing something that was making Lan, for lack of a better word, happy. "Lan...you look like you need a little help..." The boy looked down to see that he was, in fact, hard. He started to blush a little. Even though Megaman was having sex with him, Lan was still subconsciously shy when it came to revealing his naked body to the Navi.

Megaman stopped his movements momentarily, giving him time to lean down and give the boy below him a kiss on the lips. It was only for a moment, as he started to speak again. "You don't have to be embarrassed, Lan. I love you..." The Navi took one of his hands, gently brushing it against the boy's cheek. Lan could feel it Megaman's touch. The Navi truly was caring. He really did love him. 'I...I love him...I love him!' Lan screamed those words over and over in his mind, until he finally spewed them out of his mouth.

"I love you, Megaman!"  
"Lan...I love you, too."

Without anymore delay, Megaman and Lan locked lips, while the Navi also started up his thrusts into the boy below him. They were faster and harder than they were before, gaining speed and power from the heat of their passion at that moment. And, as Megaman was pushing more, he also took the opportunity to grab a hold of Lan's now erect member, giving it several strokes in sync with his own movements.

The new treatment was more than Lan could contain to himself. He broke their kiss, breathing heavily as the Navi worked the boy's member and hole at the same time. "Uh...ah...uh..." The sensations of being penetrated and stroked were getting Lan to his breaking point. He could once again feel his seed gathering at the base of his member, waiting for that one final push so that it may reach it's release.

Both Lan and Megaman were in almost complete ecstasy at that moment. With Megaman thrusting and stroking Lan's member, there was much enjoyment on both sides. It had finally gotten to the point where Megaman's thrusting was almost slamming into Lan. And, every now and again, he would strike that one spot that never failed to make Lan's world explode. Each time Megaman hit that spot, Lan's breathing got even heavier, as well as deeper. The Navi could tell that the boy truly enjoyed having that one spot touched.

Much to Megaman's surprise, Lan took his hands, grabbed onto the hand Megaman was using to stroke the boy's member, then took it off. The Navi didn't have time to think as he soon saw that Lan started using his own hand to stroke himself.

He smiled inward, but soon felt that he had to do more. Keeping up with his thrusting pace, Megaman leaned forward once again, kissing and licking the boy's neck. "Ahhh...ah..." Lan couldn't come up with any words. The sensations and attention that he was getting was just weighing too heavily on his mind for it to even form a complete sentence.

However, as he was panting and breathing heavily, he managed to get some words out.

"Mega...I'm gonna...I can't..." Megaman knew right away what Lan was going to do. The boy had reached his limit, and his climax was only a few very short moments away. In the heat of their passion, Megaman didn't have to think about what to do. With a quick movement, he moved himself upwards a little, locking lips with Lan.

And, as their lips met, Lan's body spasmed, his erect member reaching it's limit.

Megaman could feel Lan's muffled moans as the boy started cumming. The Navi released the boy's lips, letting him get air that he surely needed at that moment. One spurt after another, Lan's creamy white seed began to cover his stomach and hand, some of it even shot far enough up to end up on Megaman's chest.

With Lan hitting his climax, his muscle inside tightened up, causing even more friction inside. And, for Megaman, the sight of Lan cumming and the increased friction and tightness caused him to finally reach his orgasm.

As he pushed himself deep into Lan one more time, he began to cum. Unlike Lan, Megaman's seed was shot into the boy as almost one solid stream. The boy could feel Megaman's cum, the warm sensation of the fluid could be felt all over his body. If it could have aroused him again that night, it would have. However, he was too spent to even "get it up" anymore that night.

Taking his hand off of his now softening penis, Lan panted heavily. It was an experience that he would never want to forget.

Megaman removed his now softening member from Lan, noticing that some of his cum spilled out of the boy as he removed himself. His arms, which had been supporting him for the duration of them having sex, finally gave way, causing the Navi to collapse onto the bed beside Lan.

There was a silence in the room as both of the boys were left lying on the bed. Their heavy breathing had finally stop now that their lungs were able to catch up on their breathing. However, something wasn't right. Megaman couldn't place it, but there was something that was...off. He couldn't explain it.

But, there wasn't much explanation needed. Megaman's ear did the explanation for him. Right beside him, he could hear Lan making noises. 'What's he doing?' The Navi wasn't sure what kind of noises they were, but it almost sounded like Lan was upset. As the Navi turned to his boyfriend, he took immediate noticed of the source of the noise.

Lan was crying.

Megaman wasn't sure why the boy was crying, but he turned onto his side, wrapping his arms around Lan's bare torso, embracing him in a manner that said everything was ok. "Lan. Please, don't cry. Everything is ok."

"It's...that not...Megaman..."  
"Don't worry, Lan. And, don't cry. I'm right here."

The Navi gave his NetOp a soft kiss on the cheek, trying to see if he could calm him down. Megaman wasn't sure what got Lan so upset that he had to cry, but there wasn't much that he could do about it now except hold him and make sure he knew everything was ok.

Lan's sobbing didn't seem to slow down too much after Megaman wrapped his arms around him. If anything, it seemed to make the boy cry a little more. Megaman couldn't figure out why.

"Lan. What's wrong? You can tell me."  
"It's...nothing wrong...It's...something right."  
"..What do you mean by that?"

Still sobbing, Lan pulled Megaman's ear to his mouth very slowly. Megaman wasn't sure what the boy was doing, but he could give it a decent guess. As his mouth got closer to the Navi's ear, Lan started to whisper something into the Navi's ear. It didn't take more than a moment for Megaman's eyes to widen, almost in shock. And, that feeling quickly passed as his own face started to contort.

And there, the two of them held each other, sharing in each other tears.

~~!~~  
~~!~~

**_Wow! How about that lemon? How about that ending? Yet another of my yet to be famous cliffhangers!_**

**_I do sincerely apologize for being...what, 3 months late in getting this out? LOL! A lot of real-life stuff happened rather quickly, and I couldn't spend the time I wanted in getting this chapter done. But, like I have always said, I will finish what I started! This story will not die as long as I draw breath!_**

**_Anyway, be on the lookout for chapter 18! I don't have a title for it yet. So, you will just have to wait and see what it will be!_**

**_As always, any polls I create will be in my profile, and you want to talk, just shoot me a PM or e-mail. I will respond (sooner or later. LOL)._**

**_Until then, happy reading!_**


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